For more than 20 years now University of Hawaii softball coach Bob Coolen has steadfastly held to the same fervent wish.

“I keep saying, on a daily basis whenever we have meetings, that I hope I’m around long enough to get to see Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium to its fruition,” Coolen said.

At age 62 and preparing for his 30th season as UH’s head coach and 32nd year with the program, it is looking more and more like he might finally realize that goal thanks to a $4.16 million capital improvement supplemental budget appropriation by the Legislature for fiscal year 2021.

With luck — and Coolen says, “I’ve got my fingers crossed,” — the Rainbow Wahine could finally have their longed for on-site locker room, players lounge, coaches’ offices and some other amenities by next summer.

For years the plans never got off the drawing board because of competing projects. “We couldn’t get in the top 25 of the CIP (projects),” Coolen said.

And even when they did something inevitably went wrong. In 1998, when the original, bare bones 13-year-old facility was scheduled for improvements, it turned out that the architect’s design was flawed to the point that the majority of the seating locations were unable to see the field and it wasn’t ADA-compliant, Coolen said.

By the time that was fixed there was no more money, softball went to the back of the appropriations line again and Coolen was forced to practice patience while wondering if he’d ever see the project through.

From his third floor office in the main athletics complex, where Coolen once had a clear view of the softball facility, he watched other venues sprout and get upgraded to the point that the softball field was barely visible anymore.

Meanwhile, unlike other sports, the Rainbow Wahine had to make their way across the lower campus in the dark after night games to their locker room.

But the vision of an enhanced stadium persisted and Coolen said state Sen. Brian Taniguchi (D, Manoa-Makiki) and others moved softball toward its goals a piece at a time with upgraded lighting, a batting cage, field turf and other improvements. “David (Matlin, UH athletic directors) and Teri (Chang, assistant AD facilities) were good about looking for any CIP money,” Coolen said.

Then, finally, there was a lump sum appropriation last year and work was to have started in May, until COVID-19 hit.

Now, UH officials said, Phase II-B is back on track and plans call for the building of the locker room, lounge and coaches office underneath the first base grandstands as well as the building of an entry plaza for fans.

As a result, the Rainbow Wahine, who have occupied the third-base dugout, will move to the first-base side, swapping with the visitors.

When the project is completed, Coolen said, UH’s softball facilities will rival those of Cal State Fullerton as the best in the Big West Conference, which should be a boon for recruiting.

“Players, when they come to a program, want to feel like they have a place to hang their helmets that they are proud of and feel comfortable (around),” Coolen said.

Not to mention that their coach likes to see a vision realized and patience rewarded.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.