Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel on Hawaii island was a storied and popular place in its day. But after its lease expired in 2016, the aging hotel fell into decay. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, responsible for managing the state-owned land, sought funding to tear down the old hotel, but Hawaii’s Legislature turned down a $6 million request in 2018, and eliminated a supplemental budget request for $13.5 million in 2022. DLNR is now asking for $12.5 million from the general fund.

Meanwhile, Uncle Billy’s is a magnet for squatters. At dawn on Monday, a law enforcement sweep turned up 10 people who were cited for trespass at the condemned property.