The University of Hawaii is looking to expand its reach by offering noncredit digital-training programs downtown. UH sizes up downtown
for multimedia classesOutreach College eyes Pioneer Plaza
to teach skills to professionalsBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comThe UH Board of Regents recently authorized Outreach College to begin negotiating for a six-year lease at Pioneer Plaza, where it will tailor some of the courses offered through the Pacific New Media program for working professionals.
"The market is principally people who work downtown," said Karl Kim, UH-Manoa interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, noting that courses will be offered in the evenings as well as during the days.
The proposed site is on Fort Street Mall, where Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Phoenix also have campuses, but Kim said they will not be competitors because they offer different types of courses.
The Pacific New Media program offers noncredit courses in page design, imaging and video, Web design and development, typography and multimedia, whereas the other two campuses offer degree programs, he said.
"What we're trying to do is improve our outreach to the community, and this is part of making the University of Hawaii accessible to the citizens of Hawaii," Kim said.
The proposed lease includes about 2,300 square feet of office and training space, for which the average gross lease rent including building operating expenses would be about $2 a square foot over six years.
The lease with MW Commercial Realty Inc. would also provide an improvement allowance of $35,000 for the space, an option to extend the term of the lease for an additional six years at fair market rent and the right of first refusal to lease additional adjoining space as it becomes available, according to the Outreach College.
The interim Manoa chancellor agreed to advance Outreach College $154,000 for start-up costs, according to the college.
University of Hawaii
