Design for future Kona courthouse complex gets positive response

The Hawaii State Judiciary and Department of Accounting and General Services unveiled preliminary design concepts Tuesday of the proposed $90 million Kona Judiciary Complex slated for a 10-acre parcel in Keahuolu, North Kona.

Located mauka of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and across Makala Boulevard, the long-awaited 435,600-square-foot complex will stand three stories high and be constructed of prefabricated or cast-in-place concrete, with steel framing, said Michael Kim, project manager at Honolulu-based Architects Hawaii Ltd.

The design includes nearly 300 parking stalls, five courtrooms, conference rooms, law library, self-help center and area for staff. There’s also space for future expansion or courtroom additions. Officials are striving for a LEED silver or the equivalent thereof in an alternative rating program, which is required for all newly built state buildings 5,000-square-feet or larger.

State officials and the design team got mostly positive feedback on the artist renderings from the large gathering of residents at an informal open house at the West Hawaii Civic Center. Rodney Maile, administrative director of courts, said the purpose of Tuesday’s event was to share the project’s progress and to listen to the public’s concerns and suggestions regarding the design. He hoped the design was met with approval from those gathered, as well as generated a sense of confidence and pride. He added, this is the state’s first purpose-built courthouse complex.

“The goal of the design team was to keep this building’s architecture and character consistent with the West Hawaii community, with interior design reflecting local culture, landscape and values,” Judiciary spokeswoman Tammy Mori said prior to the event.

There has been a long-standing need for a new Judiciary complex in West Hawaii, a region that is growing in population and has inadequate facilities to perform Judiciary functions. The Keakealani Building was formerly a hospital and is not effectively sized, configured or finished for court functions. The Kona Circuit Court and the Kona Drug Court at Halekii Street are at capacity. Concerns about parking, accessibility, overcrowding and security exist at the current facilities, officials said.

While an environment impact statement has been completed and the project is moving forward, the Judiciary still only has roughly a third of the funds needed to build the complex. State legislators last session authorized $26 million for the project and another $9 million was set aside last year, bringing the total committed to $35 million.

“The Judiciary is grateful for the appropriation the Legislature has committed thus far to fund the Kona Judiciary Complex, and the Judiciary will be seeking the remaining funds needed during the 2015 legislative session,” Mori said.

After reviewing the design Tuesday, Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille had just one concern. To her, it looked like just another generic, institutional building. Instead, she wanted something “with more culture” and that exuded “from Hawaii.” She suggested changing the windows, adding a mural and incorporating something representing the famous Law of the Splintered Paddle. Kim said the design team will work with the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to include spaces for art inside the building and out.

The best part of the design for 3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra was “it’s within the budget.” For him, a courthouse is more than a place where cases are heard. “It’s a symbol of democracy and the design reflects that,” he said. Ibarra appreciated the complex’s formal, yet very neutral look, believing it fulfills the courthouse mandate of being a neutral forum to protect the rights of all people. He also talked about justice, and while it should not be dependent on where one’s at, the environment does set the tone.

Andrew Kennedy of the Public Defender’s Office was impressed by the overall design. He admired how every function was addressed. One of the biggest improvements Kennedy cited was how his clients, most of whom are inmates, will have access to the proper facilities for making court appearances. There will now be temporary holding cells and conference rooms where they can meet instead of on the steps of the courthouse. Besides being more secure and better for all who come to court, he said it also helps increase the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and clients.

Current design plans will be available at westhawaiibar.com and the prefinal design is slated to be done by summer 2015. The bidding process will likely begin at the end of 2015, with the contract awarded in spring 2016. The groundbreaking is anticipated for fall 2016 and construction done by spring 2019. Third Circuit could move in as soon as summer 2019, officials said.