Natatorium
critics rip mayor
on costs

Councilwoman Kim says
the bid omits key items, but
Mayor Harris says her stalling
rushed the process

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Critics of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium restoration project are accusing Mayor Jeremy Harris and his administration of understating the plan's cost.

Healy Tibbitts Builders won the bid with a $10.85 million "basic bid," according to Budget and Fiscal Services Department documents.

That amount, however, does not include some 15 "alternate" improvements that originally were represented as part of the total project costs, said Councilwoman Donna Mercado Kim, the Council's main critic of the project.

The items were taken out of the basic bid specifications because the administration knew $11 million could not cover all of them, she said.

"The administration said to us they were going to fully restore the natatorium and do it for $11 million," Kim said. "Based on legitimate bid documents submitted to the city, we're not going to get a fully restored natatorium for $11 million."

Healy Tibbitts estimated that with the alternate improvements, the project would cost $18.4 million. Hawaiian Dredging Construction, the only other bidder, had a basic bid of $14 million and $18.8 million with alternates.

The mayor blamed Kim for stalling approvals for the natatorium in her Zoning Committee, forcing a hastened bidding process that caused contractors to overstate their bids. Bids needed to be opened by the end of 1998 to avoid having funds lapse.

"Her strategy all along was to delay approval until there was insufficient time to bid," Harris said. "We notified the Council that leaving only two weeks in December would not allow enough time for contractors to make their bids, and thus, force the price above what was budgeted."

Randall Fujiki, director of the Design and Construction Department, said the city is now negotiating with Healy Tibbitts.

"The contractor has indicated to us that it believes that they can include the first four bid alternates within the base bid price," Fujiki said in a news release.

The first four alternates are considered "essential" to restoration, Fujiki said.

They were not included as basic bid items because the city wanted to find the specific amount contractors would charge for them, a common bidding strategy, Fujiki said.

The four alternates include completion of the foundation and structural system of bleacher wings, plumbing and electrical work and "all work associated with the completion of the historic mauka exterior facade of the bleachers."

The 11 remaining alternates, Fujiki said, "can be handled on an in-house basis by the Department of Parks and Recreation or the operator of the facility."

Those include ramps and walkways, swimming pool equipment, street lighting, and a sand volleyball court.

Rick Bernstein of the anti-restoration group Kaimana Beach Coalition said he's not convinced.

"They tried to make it like it was $10.5 million, but the add-ons include bare essential things like bleachers, foundation, restrooms, the facade and floating docks," Bernstein said.

Even Waikiki Councilman Duke Bainum, among the natatorium's strongest supporters, raised concerns about the items left out of the basic bid.

"When I voted for full restoration, I assumed it was that, a full restoration," Bainum said. "I think landscaping, sidewalks and ramps, in anybody's book, would be considered basic building elements."

Kim anticipated cost overruns, and predicted the administration would need to return to the Council for additional funds.

Bainum said he would not support additional funding.

Harris insisted, however, "we will not spend more than the budgeted amount."

The natatorium was built in 1927 as a memorial to World War I veterans.

It was shut down in 1977 because of disrepair.

The City Council budgeted $11 million for its full restoration a year ago despite community division on the issue.