MEDIA RELEASE

Mayor Billy Kenoi and the county Department of Parks and Recreation have announced the completion of a $1 million upgrade to Hilo’s Waiakea Uka Park and Stanley Costales Gymnasium.

The public is invited to join Kenoi and Parks Director Bob Fitzgerald at a blessing and dedication ceremony set for 10 a.m. Thursday, June 7 at the gym. Refreshments will be served.

“Mahalo to the community for its patience during the recent construction phase,” Kenoi said. “Please join me in reopening this safe haven for families, keiki and kupuna, which has been expanded, renovated and made more accessible.”

Used frequently by youth, adult and kupuna individuals and sports teams for parties, practices and tournaments, the 7.7-acre Waiakea Uka Park and Stanley Costales Gymnasium also is one of the department’s most-popular Summer Fun sites.

The renovated facility now features new paved walkways that meet federal accessibility mandates and connect parking areas to the gym and both ball fields.

Other significant work included re-roofing both the gym and annex, renovating the gym’s bathrooms, repaving the parking lot, installing new bleachers at the gym and ball fields, and creating an off-street parking lot for the mauka ball field.

GW Construction performed the work under a $1,032,376 contract financed with a combination of county bond proceeds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds administered by the County’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

Construction started in January and will be completed June 6.

Using its in-house staff and resources, the Department of Parks and Recreation assisted with the renovation.

Department personnel waxed the gym’s floor, trimmed trees at the site and constructed additional parking at the makai side of the gymnasium to accommodate up to 30 vehicles.