Parks officials say they are about ready to reopen the Panaewa play court after giving a new synthetic surface there a final inspection.
Deputy Parks Director James Komata said the 26,000-square-foot facility, closed since January, should be ready for use sometime next week. An exact date had not been selected.
The green synthetic surface is the first of its kind in Hawaii County, and was installed after basketball and volleyball players complained of cuts and bruises from waffle-pattern plastic tiles installed in 2012 when the $3 million covered play court opened.
Hilo Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, whose district includes Panaewa, said he saw that first hand while coaching a youth basketball team there.
The interlocking tiles were more trouble than they were worth, he said, adding he had recommended the county use a different surface installed at the Wainaku Gym.
While viewing the new $491,070 play surface Thursday, Onishi said he would have to “see how it goes” before giving a verdict.
Curtis Davis, project foreman for contractor Applied Surface Technologies, said this style of flooring, which is slightly cushy, should reduce injuries by 85 percent.
Regarding its lifespan, Davis said the surface will last about 5 to 10 years, depending on use, before needing a new coat.
Komata said this type of surface was selected because the county needed something that could hold up to the elements. While covered, the play court has an open-air design, which allows rain to be blown in.
The facility was expected to reopen March 11, but high humidity prevented the surface from being completed on time, he said.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.