There will be a number of construction projects on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus over the summer months, as the university continues its mission to improve the student experience. Although disruption is expected to be minimal, students, faculty and staff are asked to be aware of the projects and to plan accordingly.
McCarthy Mall access limited for Life Sciences and Kennedy Theatre parking lot projects
The Diamond Head, or east end, of McCarthy Mall by Kennedy Theatre will be closed for about three months to accommodate two projects—the construction of the Life Sciences building and repaving of the Kennedy Theatre parking lot. Access to East-West Road from McCarthy Mall will be blocked. Pedestrians can access the areas via Moore Hall and Maile Way. McCarthy Mall and the theatre parking lot, with about 120 stalls, are expected to reopen before the start of the fall 2018 semester.
The mall will be blocked to allow workers to remediate soil that contains chlordane from the Life Sciences site, in preparation for a four-story, 45,000-square-foot facility. In a plan approved by the Department of Health, the soil with chlordane will be relocated under the parking lot for permanent, safe storage. Chlordane was a commonly used termite treatment chemical until it was banned in 1988.
The Life Sciences building design is currently being finalized, and construction is expected to begin in the fall 2018 semester. The state-of-the-art facility will include classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, laboratory support and office spaces that will serve 1,000 students weekly and house more than 80 faculty members and graduate students.
Warrior Recreation Center repair and improvements
The first and second floors of the basketball/volleyball court area of the Warrior Recreation Center will be closed for about two months to repair sections of the court floor. The existing court light fixtures will also be replaced with more efficient LED lights, and some of the interior walls will be repainted causing a temporary closure of the indoor track and spin room. There will be work on the exterior of the building, including repairing plaster walls, adding flashing to the roof parapet walls and installing electrical connections to the courtyard and entrance controls to the centerʻs front door.
The rest of the center will be open during the project, and the work is expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2018 semester, if not sooner.
Law School Outreach Center and Saunders Hall projects nearing completion
Construction of the Community Legal Outreach Center at the William S. Richardson School of Law on the corner of Dole Street and Lower Campus Road will continue through the summer. The center is expected to be completed by the end of the fall 2018 semester. The two-story, 6,000-square-foot center will serve as a space for law school students and faculty to provide clinical services to the community.
The exterior repairs to Saunders Hall are expected to be completed in spring 2019. The project also includes re-roofing, new traffic coating, glazing, installation of new doors and locks and bathroom renovations.
New walkway for popular campus entrance
The walkway between the School of Law and Law Library will be repaved from the parking structure to Dole Street starting May 14. Limited access will be available from the parking structure to Dole Street, and construction is expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2018 semester.
Other summer capital improvement projects:
- Renovation of Bilger Hall classrooms 319 and 337 that will start in mid-May
- The demolition of Buildings 1 and 2 on Metcalf Street tentatively scheduled to begin in June
- Renovation of Gym 2 on lower campus that will include new floors, AC, photovoltaic, repainting and athletic equipment tentatively scheduled to begin in June
- Renovation of the home team locker room at the Les Murakami Stadium tentatively scheduled to begin in late May
- Replacing the mechanical systems for the two pools at the Duke Kahanamoku Complex
