Hilton seeks In the first sign of work needed to fix the mold-infested Kalia Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hilton has applied for a $1 million building permit that calls for alteration of the tower's airconditioning system, according to city records.
$1 million permit
to work on Kalia
air conditioning
The mold clean-up project is
expected to cost $20 million overallBy Tim Ruel
truel@starbulletin.comAla Moana consulting firm Beall & Associates has been hired to work on the project at Waikiki's largest resort. A company representative declined comment yesterday.
Hilton confirmed the $1 million charge and said it was part of the previous estimate of $20 million for the total cost of fixing the tower. No timetable has been given for the work, though Hilton has said it hopes to reopen its Kalia Tower to guests by spring or summer of next year.
All 453 guest rooms in the tower were closed in July because of concerns about uncontrollable mold growing in the rooms. The closure came only 14 months after Hilton opened the brand-new tower, which cost $95 million to build.
In September, Hilton began throwing away furnishings in the guest rooms, including drapes, wallpaper and appliances.
Experts hired by Hilton have blamed high humidity for causing the mold growth, but it has been unclear what led to the humidity, or who will be held liable. Their investigation is continuing.