The 1992 storm battered the park with huge surf and strong winds, destroying the restrooms and pavilion and ripping out trees, lawns and other vegetation.

Although the park was opened for public use once the debris was cleared, it lacked full facilities and landscaping.

The storm-ravaged Stouffer Waiohai, which borders the park's western boundary, also contributed to the area's overall look of disrepair with its ruined buildings barricaded behind a chain-link fence.

It's still unknown if the hotel will reopen. But by early February, the six-acre Poipu Beach Park will finally be rebuilt, said Mel Nishihara, county parks director.

"It means the world to the southside to have the park facilities repaired," said Margy Parker, director of the Poipu Beach Resort Association. "It's a major hurdle in the recovery process we're getting through."

Parker said the beach park is extremely popular with residents and visitors alike, both because of its proximity to the southside's many resorts and the variety of water sports it offers. "It supports a lot of mental health for families here, and it has a strong impact on our economy because it's a big attraction to our visitors," she said.

Both Nishihara and Parker said no one expected repairs would take so long. But work was delayed first by an archaeological survey, and then by the need to relocate and redesign some structures to meet federal flood insurance requirements.

And since federal disaster funds are being used for the repairs, the contract and bidding process was slow and complicated.

Residents, hotels and the Poipu Beach Resort Association put in some landscaping to beautify the park while it was awaiting repair, an effort that will be completed this spring once the facilities are restored, Parker said.

The groups also cleared and landscaped a half-acre parcel that the county recently added to the park.