After more than three decades of making do with wooden portable classrooms, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu is on the verge of having a permanent, full-fledged campus at Kapolei. State legislators should not allow a development company's backing out of the project to put construction off indefinitely—perhaps permanently.

Gov. Linda Lingle, UH-West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni and area legislators gave their blessing to the project in a ceremony more than a year ago, even though a Texas-based developer had pulled out of the deal. The company had agreed to buy land for housing development around the campus for $100 million, which would have financed construction of the campus.

Meanwhile, Kapolei Property Development, formerly the Campbell Estate, has threatened to take back land it had promised to give the state for the new campus. The estate had required UH to start construction on the campus by the end of next year or lose it; the state then would have to buy the land at market value if it wants to pursue the goal of a UH-West Oahu campus.

Enrollment at UH-West Oahu, which is housed next to Leeward Community College, grew from fewer than 900 to 1,355 last fall after adding freshmen and sophomore classes. The new campus would accommodate 2,750 students, which is part of the agreement with Campbell Estate.

Legislators are seeking an appropriation of $48 million for the project and a change in state law that would exempt the state from needing legislative approval to sell state lands that are not ceded land. That would allow it to sell 55 acres next to the campus to finance construction.

The university has been negotiating with developers for such a transaction, but Awakuni said the requested appropriation would relieve pressure on the state to sell the land immediately.

Some UH faculty on the Manoa campus contend that repairs on aging buildings should have priority over construction of a new campus. While refurbishment of Manoa's facilities is needed, that should not stand in the way of building a campus that will be a key ingredient of the Second City of Kapolei and the primary starting point for the planned rail transit line. UH-West Oahu also is part of a strategy to raise college attendance and graduation rates among local residents.

Starting construction this summer would allow classes at the new UH-West Oahu beginning next fall. Abandoning the project would be a severe blow to the nature of West Oahu, as well as discourage the area's high school graduates from going on to college.