Pending a vote next week, the state Judiciary will have a little more than a third of the cash needed to build a new courthouse complex in West Hawaii.
Still, Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona, Ka‘u, said Friday, the funding is enough to ensure the project will move ahead.
State legislators in a Senate Ways and Means and House Finance conference Friday morning authorized $26 million for the Kona Judiciary Compex project, out of a total of $81 million needed to fully fund construction of the long-awaited project. Another $9 million was set aside for the project last year, bringing the total committed to $35 million, out of a total project cost of $90 million.
The Senate will vote on the final budget next week.
Hawaii Island legislators joined with Judiciary officials and West Hawaii Bar Association members in praising the funding decision.
“We appreciate the support of the conference committee for this vitally important project,” Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said in a written statement Friday. “This courthouse will ensure that the judiciary can fulfill its mission of providing justice for the West Hawaii community in a secure and efficient venue.”