Developer looks to
build dorm on MauiWAILUKU >> A California developer is planning to build a private 400-bed dormitory for students attending Maui Community College.
Agora Realty, Management & Construction, of Sherman Oaks, wants to build the facility within walking distance of the college in Kahului and is talking with landowners about purchasing a site, said Tamio Iwado, who is assisting the firm in the planning.
Maui Community College Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto said he hopes that the dormitory will be available by the fall of 2006.
Sakamoto said the additional student housing should help to attract non-Hawaii residents and international students who would pay out-of-state tuition to attend Maui Community College.
The annual out-of-state tuition rate for classes alone is $7,260 for 30 credits during two semesters, compared with $1,350 for residential tuition. Sakamoto said the out-of-state tuition would help to support Hawaii students paying lower tuition rates.
He said adding more international students on campus will also enrich the atmosphere for learning.
"I think it's exciting," he said. "What we're hoping is it will afford a more international experience for Maui students on campus to interact with students from other countries."
Sakamoto said the college, with an enrollment of a little more than 3,000 students, has about 200 students on a housing waiting list.
The college has only 44 dormitory units on campus and primarily serves as a commuter campus for those seeking two-year technical degrees and undergraduate studies.
But it has been moving toward offering a bachelor's degree in applied business and information technology, and offers 14 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees through a distance-learning program.
Iwado, part owner and broker in charge of Prudential Iwado Realty Inc., said Agora is completing the development of the 200-unit apartment complex Piilani Gardens in Kihei.
Agora's principal owners, Cary Leston and Michael Bollenbacher, specialize in steel construction, which allows the structures to avoid the problem of termites, he said.