Convention center
problems may cost,
state auditor says

Heat in the lobby and
noise on the roof must
be fixed soon

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

Too hot on the bottom and too noisy at the top.

That's what state Auditor Marion Higa says are two important and potentially costly problems with the Hawaii Convention Center.

In the first of two audits on the Convention Center Authority, Higa yesterday said the authority -- which oversees management and operations of the $350 million center -- has generally met contract and government requirements. But she said there are defects and problems that remain in dispute with builder Nordic/PCL.

The first problem, she said, is excessively warm temperatures in the center's ground-floor lobby and in the foyer fronting the rooftop ballroom, both heavily used areas with apparently poor air circulation.

Higa warned the authority that it needs to correct the problem or face revenue losses from future bookings as word gets out that the center can become too hot.

"In fact, the management has reported one convention group stating that it would not return to the convention center for any future use until the lobby registration area is adequately air-conditioned," she wrote.

The report notes the authority and Nordic/

PCL disagree over the use of these areas, with the builder saying these are not assembly areas but walkways, where people do not congregate. The authority contends the builder represented these areas to be more comfortable than they are.

Authority Executive Director Alan Hayashi could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon. In a Monday letter to Higa, Hayashi said the authority intends to continue pursuing any outstanding items with the builder, but he did not respond in detail to the audit.

The second problem, and one that has received the most public attention since the center was completed, is the noise generated from the 105,000-square-foot open rooftop terrace.

Higa said the authority believes the builder didn't build the facility to limit noise to 60 decibels and should fix it. Nordic/PCL, however, said it is not responsible, according to the report.

Caught in the middle are area residents who worry about potentially excessive noise from the terrace.

No state or county agency currently regulates noise from rooftop facilities, although the authority unsuccessfully pushed legislation this year to make the state Health Department responsible.

Sam Bren, chairman of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board and vice president of the Neighbors of the Ala Wai, said yesterday that if the authority had its way, it would want the Health Department to set the terrace noise limit at 70 decibels, far more than the surrounding neighborhood can tolerate.

Bren said the authority, which by law expires in June 1999, cannot guarantee the amount of noise generated from the rooftop during a convention event. Residents want the Honolulu Liquor Commission to regulate the rooftop noise and keep it at 60 decibels, he said.

Currently, the authority has plans to monitor six rooftop events to record noise levels. Both the Health Department and Liquor Commission also are conducting sound measurements of rooftop activities and will issue a separate report in the future.

A final auditor's report on the center is due Feb. 28. It will deal with the authority's oversight and the management and marketing of the center.