City Councilman Romy Cachola says the Honolulu Zoo is getting a white elephant -- not the pachyderm itself, but an expensive enclosure that will house the zoo's Asian elephants. Estimate for zoo elephant
facility hits $13 millionBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comNew figures given to the City Council's Budget Committee showed that the cost of constructing the long-delayed elephant-breeding facility has ballooned to $13 million for a project that was originally slated to cost $3 million.
"I am concerned that this might turn into a big money pit," said Councilman Charles Djou.
Council members used various descriptions for the project.
"We're no longer building an elephant facility, we're building an elephant mansion," Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi said.
The saga of the elephant pen began in 1991 when an agreement with the Department of Interior brought female elephant Vaigai from India to the zoo to be bred on site. The other elephant at the zoo, Mari, is also a female.
But before a male can be brought, a breeding facility must be built. There has been speculation that the zoo could lose the elephants if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rescinds the agreement, but zoo Director Ken Redman said yesterday that the agency should be satisfied.
"They are monitoring our progress," he said. "Elephants are not an easy animal to move."
The first phase of the project, which will provide the minimum standards for the breeding facility, will cost $6.1 million with construction slated to begin between next month and early summer.
Clifford Lau, of the city Department of Design and Construction, said the administration will be asking for an additional $7.1 million in the next budget to complete the exhibit phase.
"Are you confident that the moneys you are asking for this coming fiscal year will be it?" Djou asked. "This project keeps on getting delayed and delayed and delayed, and costs keep on spiraling, spiraling, spiraling."