Wahiawa hospital group
sues over land dispute
The Wahiawa Hospital Association, which plans to build a 210-acre Pacific Health Center to replace Wahiawa General Hospital, has filed suit against developer Castle & Cooke Hawaii for allegedly breaching its agreement to sell the group 80 acres at Koa Ridge in Central Oahu.
The suit, filed yesterday in Circuit Court, seeks damages to be determined at trial.
The association says it entered into an acquisition agreement with Castle & Cooke in July 2001, giving the hospital the option to acquire up to 210 acres for the health center.
The agreement required that the association meet certain conditions before it could exercise its first option to obtaining its first 80 acres for $4 million, according to the suit. The association exercised its option last September, but Castle & Cooke has refused to close on the deal, the suit alleges.
Richard Mirikitani, senior vice president and corporate counsel for Castle & Cooke Hawaii, said Castle & Cooke has been a supporter of the hospital's plans for a medical facility and is committed to assisting it in attaining its vision.
"Wahiawa unfortunately has been unable to carry out its project, and this is a big disappointment to us," he said.
Last year, Castle & Cooke offered to donate to the hospital 20 acres at its proposed Koa Ridge development but was rejected, Mirikitani said.
"Since that time, we have extended deadlines five separate times to give Wahiawa every realistic opportunity to demonstrate the viability of its project," he said.
As recently as this month, Castle & Cooke offered the hospital 30 acres in lieu of the 20 acres offered earlier, "so we sincerely regret Wahiawa has chosen this path of litigation, and we continue to hope Wahiawa can be a part of that Koa Ridge Project," Mirikitani said.