It’s been a long time coming, but the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is finally poised to begin demolition of the condemned former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel. The building has not been maintained since 2017, and had become a target for break-ins, squatters, vandalism and even arson.

DLNR had been seeking funding to tear down the building since 2019, citing the building’s dangerous condition, but the state Legislature wasn’t agreeable until this year, when it appropriated $8 million. Then asbestos was discovered, pushing plans back. Now asbestos abatement is the first step, and it begins next week.