Whatever
Happened To...
An update on past news
Inclusion of challenging
ramps delays skate park
in Pearl CityQuestion: What ever happened to the skateboard park that was supposed to be completed this summer at Manana in Pearl City?
Answer: The final stages of construction of the skate park in the Manana Community Park "should be under way within the next month. We expect the project to be complete in late January or early February," says city spokeswoman Carol Costa.
According to Albert Fukushima, chairman of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board, the second phase of the Manana park includes the skateboard facility as well as a restroom facility, a 30-stall parking lot and volleyball and basketball courts on the makai side of the community park. Everything except the skate park is almost completed, he said.
(Phase one, completed two years ago, included the recreational center, football and baseball fields and the main parking lot, Fukushima said.)
The completion of the skate park was held up because it was redesigned at the suggestion of the builder, California Skateparks, he said. PER Inc. is the contractor, and Urban Works the architect.
Lorrin Matsunaga, of Urban Works, said the 10,000-square-foot skate park was originally to include an inline hockey rink, but lobbying by youngsters in the neighborhood two years ago convinced planners that the greater demand was for skateboard ramps.
Since the skate park was in the second phase, it gave the architects more time to improve on the design with help from California Skateparks, he said. The design was changed to include more obstacles to make it more challenging for the advanced skateboarder, Matsunaga said.
The concrete ramps had to be limited to 5 feet in height, and the valleys had to drain rainwater naturally, without the installation of a floor drain that could be clogged with debris, Matsunaga said.
Ever wonder what happened to a person, event or issue that has been in the news? We'll find out for you if you e-mail us at cityeditors@starbulletin.com, call us at 529-4747 or write 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813. "What Ever Happened to ..." runs Saturdays.
