The YWCA of Hawaii Island is planning a multi-million dollar renovation to its downtown Hilo campus, including a new building for its preschool program that will increase the student headcount by 40%.
Several structures located at its 1.4-acre property at the corner of Haili and Ululani Streets will first need to be demolished, including a pool house, swimming pool, playground and a century-old cottage serving as the current preschool.
These facilities were built between 1931 and 1983, and are described as “aging” in the project’s environmental assessment submitted to the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development last month. Demolition work is slated to begin at the end of this year after completion of permitting.
Starting in early 2027, construction will commence on a new preschool facility complete with classrooms, kitchen, playgrounds and conference rooms, as well as a student drop-off area and updated parking lot.
Then, a two-story multipurpose building fronting Ululani Street will be renovated into office space for YWCA’s administrative and programming needs. Tentatively, this first phase of new construction will wrap up in 2028.
Most of the $7 million in funding needed for the demolition and school construction phases of the project has already been secured.
The new preschool will accommodate approximately 125 students ages 2 through 5 — a significant increase from the roughly 90 children currently attending the old cottage-turned-schoolhouse. It will be staffed by 18 employees, and will offer meals and snacks to students prepared in its onsite commercial kitchen.
Kathleen McGilvray, CEO of YWCA of Hawaii Island, said the Hilo campus has run out of room to admit new students, and sees this new construction as the only way to meet a rising need for affordable, accredited child care.
“We are currently at capacity,” McGilvray said. “We serve any child regardless of income and ability, so demand is very high, and we are really excited to be able to have a more modern campus.”
Some of the buildings slated for demolition have become run-down after many years — a testament to the decades of service that YWCA has provided Hilo.
“With defunct buildings that are being underutilized, that have have fallen into disrepair,” she said. “Construction of a new preschool facility really makes a lot of sense when it comes to continuing to focus on what we’ve been doing for the past 100 years. It’s the beginning of a new era.”
Bringing school facilities up to par with the quality of learning and care provided to students, the McGilvray said, is the real driving force behind this project.
“Our teachers and students still have a really great experience in the aging facilities that we have,” she said. “We’ve been doing the best we can with what we’ve got, but I think that it will be great to have facilities that reflect the high quality of education that is there — to improve some of the external things about our campus. This is going to create a safer, more modern learning environment for the next generation of keiki. We won’t have vacant buildings next to our preschool anymore.”
The final phase of construction planned for the Hilo campus — which McGilvray admits is likely still several years off and wholly dependent on future funding — is a two-story transitional housing facility and community center offering 10 small studio apartment-style units for women and vulnerable families.
After over a century spent offering community services in East Hawaii, this would be the first time YWCA is able to offer housing services on-site, underscoring the profound impact this project phase could have in expanding the organization’s scope.
Taken together, these improved buildings will “create a healthier environment, expand essential community, family and individual services, and improve efficiency in delivering those services,” according to the environmental assessment filed with the county.
In the EA, YWCA outlines the motivations for undertaking this project and identifies the impacts it will have in helping disadvantaged community members.
“Today, East Hawaii Island faces many challenges including high cost of living, limited housing, access to education and jobs, and adequate day care for working families,” the document reads. “The new campus would allow YWCA to expands their existing services as well as add multiple residential housing units and a community center for comprehensive support.”
Out of the roughly $7 million required to complete the demolition and preschool construction phases of the project, YWCA has raised about $5.5 million from a variety of private and government sources, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Email Stefan Verbano at sverbano@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
