DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou student Jessica Broadfoot, in foreground, hits a ball to fellow student Adriann Gin at the new tennis complex at Central Oahu Regional Park. They will be playing in the USTA National Junior Championships, the first event to be held at the new facility.
The city's first world-class tennis facility, at Central Oahu Regional Park, was to open today at a cost of $10.6 million, about $1 million more than the contractor's original bid. Council criticizes
swelling costs
for Central Oahu
tennis complexBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comThe hefty price tag is just the beginning. The city has no way yet to pay maintenance and operating costs for the 20-court complex with a sunken show court and 150-spectator terraced seating.
An additional $3.1 million has been appropriated to build a second increment with a stadium court, a clubhouse and four teaching courts.
The administration proposed a bill to charge fees for special events such as tournaments held at the Central Oahu Regional Park and other facilities, which drew criticism.
"The park is supposed to be a free recreational place for all people. ... Now it's warping into something else," Councilman Charles Djou said, adding it is "nothing but a back-door tax increase."
Djou said the City Council was misled into thinking the entire park would be self-sustaining, but the project ran into never-ending cost overruns.
Although he and Councilwoman Barbara Marshall voted against the special-events fee bill, it passed the Budget Committee with a 3-2 vote Wednesday. The full Council will vote on the bill this Wednesday.
Deputy Managing Director Malcolm Tom said the initial budget for the tennis complex allowed for more than $10.6 million. Dick Pacific Construction Co. bid $9,576,000, but change orders for lighting and walkway surfacing and design brought the price tag to $10.6 million.
The city had promoted the idea of a private or nonprofit company to market, operate and maintain the tennis complex, including paying for lighting and water.
But William Balfour Jr., director of the Department of Parks & Recreation, told Council members the city has run into problems finding a private entity willing to take over the operation and maintenance of the complex.
"I'm not sure how successful it's going to be," Balfour said. "Unfortunately, good intentions sometimes don't always pan out."
In exchange, the private entity would be allowed to use the public facility to generate income by conducting private tennis lessons and clinics, and holding tournaments and exhibitions.
The second increment of the tennis complex hinges on the city contracting with a private company to assume 100 percent of its costs, due to a proviso by the City Council, Tom said.
Hawaii's tennis community says the tennis complex will allow the state high school tennis championships to be played on Oahu at one location. Most of the championships have been held at neighbor island resorts.
"From my perspective, ultimately, it'll put Hawaii on the map as a tennis destination," said Punahou Schools tennis director Bernard Gusman, tournament coordinator for the 2003 U.S. Tennis Association's National Junior Tennis Championships.
This major event, which runs today through Wednesday and is the first to be held at the complex, drew 125 players from 21 states and Canada, one of whom is being filmed by Fox Sports.
Star-Bulletin reporter Crystal Kua contributed to this report.
