Crews working on the new Kapolei Family Court Complex have registered progress in the Hawaii Judiciary’s effort to get the mammoth building open on time. Already, they have finished about 20 percent of the work on a project that will allow the state’s court system to establish a large presence in Kapolei, starting in the spring of 2010.
The ambitious project calls for moving everything from divorce matters to child-custody battles from Honolulu to Kapolei as part of a plan to ease overcrowding in the First Circuit Court on Oahu. There’s been nothing bashful about officials’ pride in the project and their expectations of its economic benefits. The estimated $124 million project is expected to bring at least 200 jobs to the region and serve more than 4,000 people weekly.
“In response, some family court lawyers have been inquiring about moving their offices to Kapolei,” said Walter M. Ozawa, Deputy Administrative Director of the Hawaii Judiciary. “The project will have a significant economic impact on Kapolei,” Ozawa said. The Hawaii Judiciary broke ground for the project on July 17, 2007.
Since then, construction crews have been using hammers, drills, and earth-shaking machinery to build the four-story, 123,118-square-foot complex and 52,306-square-foot detention center for 66 juveniles.
“The next phase of construction will include pouring the foundation for the juvenile detention facility and continuing the construction of columns and wall at the court building,” said Christina Uebelein, Kapolei Project Manager for the Judiciary. “Substantial building completion is expected at the end of October 2009,” Uebelein said.
In preparation for that, the judiciary has requested $9 million this year from the Hawaii Legislature. The funding would pay for furniture, equipment, and other fixtures for the court complex. “If the judiciary receives the requested appropriation of $9 million, occupancy of the building is expected in the spring of 2010,” Uebelein said.
The judiciary has been planning a new courthouse for the Family Court of the First Judicial Circuit since 1989. Court officials have said that the amount of space available in the First Judicial Circuit for its courts and programs is wholly inadequate. For one thing, the family courtrooms are too small to adequately conduct hearings and do not provide adequate separation of victims and criminal defendants or for people in divorce and custody proceedings. Also, witnesses must wait in an overcrowded area.
In 2005, the Legislature approved $95 million to fund the project. During the planning process, rising construction costs forced the Judiciary to significantly scale down the size of the project to remain within its budget, court officials said. Still, construction costs continued to climb, prompting the Judiciary to request additional funds from the Legislature. In 2007, the Judiciary received an extra $25.2 million. The total cost of the project is estimated at $124 million.
Despite the reduction in the size of the project, court officials expect the complex to meet the needs of the region.
The complex will stand on 10.97 acres, donated at no cost to the state by the Estate of James Campbell. Features of the courthouse include 13 courtrooms for family court and the Waianae District Court. Court officials said housing the core family court functions in Kapolei will allow the Judiciary to redesign the current home of the Family Court in Honolulu, and ensure that appropriate family court resources are maintained in Honolulu. For example, the courthouse in Honolulu will include at lease five courtrooms that will be capable of handling family court matters. Also, the juvenile detention facility in Honolulu will be renovated and continue as part of the system.
