GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $2 MILLION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I CENTER AT WEST HAWAI`I

For Immediate Release: January 25, 2008

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $2 million in planning and design funds for a new campus for the University of Hawai‘i Center at West Hawai‘i. Operated by Hawai‘i Community College, the UH Center at West Hawai‘i is currently housed in the Kealakekua Shopping Center.

“This is an exciting opportunity to provide better educational opportunities for students on the west side of the Big Island,” said Governor Lingle. “Use of these project funds will bring us one step closer to providing students in West Hawai‘i with a permanent campus and facilities more suitable to higher education.”

The new campus will be located on part of a 500-acre parcel of state-owned land near Kona International Airport. Hiluhilu Development, LLC, which was recently authorized by Hawai‘i County to build a residential community called Palamanui adjacent to this new campus site, will construct a 20,000 square-foot building for the UH Center at West Hawai‘i. This is more space than the center currently has at its leased facilities in South Kona. Conditions of the agreement also require Hiluhilu to construct utilities and a university access road along the makai property line of the 500-acre parcel.

The university will use the funds to update its long-range development plan for the UH Center at West Hawai‘i to reflect the new campus site, to acquire the necessary permits for this location, and to design additional buildings for the campus. This planning and design phase is scheduled to be completed by May 2009.

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For more information, contact:

John Morton
Vice President for Community Colleges, UH
Phone: (808) 956-7038 

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043