Milolii Community Enrichment and Historical Center (Photo courtesy of Paa Ponon Milolii)

MEDIA RELEASE

Paa Pono Milolii Inc. a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the lives of the residents of the native Hawaiian fishing village of Milolii has broken ground on a $1 million community center in Milolii.

Through a 2006 Congressional Housing and Urban Development grant championed by the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, the project completed all design and planning requirements this summer and broke ground in September.

The facility will feature a 3,200 square foot open air community center with enclosed areas designated for classrooms, historical library, office space, gift store, and a certified kitchen.

Adjacent to the main facility will be a comfort station /restroom, guest quarters and a hale waa for storage and maintenance of Milolii canoes.

The entire facility is being built on a 40,000 square foot parcel leased from the Department of Land & Natural Resources and will include a parking lot, native Hawaiian landscaping, water storage and solar photovoltaic power system.

Paa Pono Milolii Inc. completed Federal and State Chapter 343 EIS requirements, county Special Management Area requirements, National Historic Preservation, Archaeological Survey, Conservation District Use Permit and Hawaii County Plan and Building Approval in order to begin construction on the facility.

The project meets all ADA requirements and would not have been possible without the coordination and help of the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, state Department of Land and Natural Resources and county.

The design and planning team of Farber and Associates, Honua Consulting, Lewellyn Architectural and Design, Robert C. Smelker Associates, Island Survey and Engineering Partners of Hilo completed all planning and design requirements over a two year time period.

The center is being built by JCP Construction of Hilo and is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2015.