Hawaii has a history of pursuing new construction — while showing little love for maintaining what’s already built.
Deferred maintenance has plagued state facilities ranging from Aloha Stadium to assorted structures in the University of Hawaii system and public schools on all islands. Many of those buildings are 40 and 50 years old, or older.
Now this negligence has afflicted a key element of the state’s visitor-
industry infrastructure, the Hawai‘i Convention Center, which was built in 1998.
Needed fixes are estimated to cost $53 million, about half that to cover a leaky rooftop deck.
A faulty sound system, a leaky fourth-floor stairwell and broken chairs figure among the repairs to be made; overall, the center has failed a recent building inspection.
Is it reasonable to expect things to be breaking down to this extent after only 20 years? Perhaps not. But the indisputable fact is that an infusion of cash will be needed, and soon, to restore the facility to presentable condition.
These are the sorts of problems that can leave the visiting business leaders wondering why they chose Hawaii to host an event. A convention is supposed to leave a good impression, and there are many competing destinations offering high-gloss, professional presentations.
In a classic government disconnect, all of these flaws were allowed to fester while the proposed rooftop Center for Hawaiian Music and Dance, a museum concept, took root. The most recent argument was that the music and dance project could be folded together with the rooftop deck repairs, in the interest of cost-efficiency.
The drawback: sticker shock. After $850,000 was spent on a business plan and design study for the facility, the pricetag for the entire rooftop project came in at $98 million. The pricetag scared off lawmakers, who have rejected its funding in recent years, and there’s been no progress on other projects.
That bundling of a need-to-have with a nice-to-have was a mistake. The work should be phased to allow the completion of deck repairs first, as the most imperative. The museum idea is popular and would be an attraction for conventioneers; however, lawmakers should revise the enabling statute to see that crews complete the most essential work first.
But now the center management is ramping up for a more active convention calendar in 2019. The 20th anniversary this year was marked with a less-than-optimal bookings response from convention groups.
Bad headlines — the false missile alert in January, and the triple threat of flooding, volcanic eruption and tropical storms— put a damper on convention planners, said general manager Teri Orton.
To its credit, the center has pressed on and has lined up six sizable convention groups, the largest being Art Hawai‘i. In November 2019, that’s expected to bring in 10,000 people booking 80,400 room-nights.
In all, 21,800 people are due to come Hawaii’s way next year, spending $102 million and generating $9.9 million in tax revenue. Hawaii must be prepared to welcome them to a convention center that burnishes the whole visitor experience; convention attendees are seen as potential return visitors, as individual tourists.
That return on investment was what sold many people on the value of establishing a convention center for Hawaii.
There are several worthy projects in the hopper that would enhance the visitor experience, including a food and beverage outlet that transitions into a lobby bar in the evenings.
But it makes no sense to pursue those improvements if deterioration is allowed to persist; tourists notice that, as well.
The center is promoted as a revenue-generating asset; it’s long past time for state leaders to handle the basic upkeep that will ensure it can continue to deliver on that promise.
