MEDIA RELEASE

Public access to the bandstand and bus terminal at Mo‘oheau Park in downtown Hilo will be improved following completion of a construction project that will start Monday, Aug. 13.

General contractor Site Engineering Inc. will modify parking, concrete walkways, ramps, restrooms and other building elements to satisfy federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Additional work specified under the $660,300 contract will include re-roofing, painting, installing new windows, doors and cabinets, reconditioning the restrooms, and performing miscellaneous repairs to the bus terminal.

Construction will occur in two phases to accommodate continued use of the facility. Expected to be completed Sept. 21, the first phase will require cordoning off much of the park and restricting pedestrian access to designated routes. The bus terminal will remain open, however.

Work on the second phase, which will start when the County accepts the initial construction, will focus on the bus terminal and is projected to be finished Dec. 21. Inclement weather and unforeseen conditions could delay the expected completion date.

To accommodate Hele-On bus passengers, temporary canopy shelters with seating accommodations will be erected adjacent to the terminal building, while portable bathrooms and wash basins will be provided for the public’s benefit.

The Hilo Downtown Improvement Association, which sells Hele-On bus tickets and taxi coupons, and provides visitor information services from the terminal, will move to a mobile office trailer to be located near the construction area.

Every effort will be made to reduce construction impacts. This approach will allow special events such as the KWXX Downtown Ho‘olaule‘a, the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk and the Salvation Army Christmas Festival to be held as planned.

The public is advised that vehicular access to the bus terminal will be restricted to Hele-On buses until the construction project is finished. Drivers of private buses, taxicabs and other vehicles are asked to use an alternate entrance to access the parking lot adjacent to the terminal.

The Department of Parks and Recreation wishes to thank park users, Hele-On bus customers and the general public for their patience and understanding while improvements are being made to this important downtown Hilo facility.

For more information, please contact Jason Armstrong, Public Information Officer, at 345-9105, or jarmstrong@co.hawaii.hi.us