Another delay for Hilo Highs new gym

What would the completion of the new Hilo High School gymnasium be without another delay?

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the school community was set to recognize the grand opening of the long-anticipated facility. But with five days to go, those plans were put on hold.

Principal Robert Dircks asked media representatives Tuesday, Sept. 9, to delay announcing the opening event after he learned of an unanticipated delay.

In an email sent Monday, Dircks explained the opening was delayed because of a scheduling conflict between contractors regarding the paving of the gyms driveway fronting Waianuenue Avenue. General contractor F&H Construction and subcontractor Yamada and Sons Inc. were delayed in completing the driveway because of malfunctioning equipment, he said.

The driveway work was completed Friday, Dircks added, but the dedication of the gymnasium will be rescheduled once the gymnasium is completed. This date has not yet been set, but we expect it to be no later than Nov. 26, he wrote.

It was unclear what specific work remains to be done on the property. In his email, Dircks said the state, contractor and the architect have begun a process to draw up a punchlist with final touches to be performed on the building.

When the punchlist is completed to the satisfaction of all involved, the building will be turned over to the school, he said.

The $11.2 million gymnasium has met with a number of delays since its earliest inception, and officials say much of the delay can be traced to a requirement that the building serve double duty.

The new gymnasium serves not only as an athletic facility but also as a Civil Defense shelter and staging area. As a result of the latter, the architectural design requirements were reviewed and subsequently adjusted to meet stringent criteria, Dircks said.

Meanwhile, he added, structural issues within the steelwork of the building further helped push back the completion date.

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Another delay for Hilo Highs new gym