HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06-25 County to Take Over Kea'au Armory from State as Parks Facility -- press release jk edits
Roy Takemoto
Managing Director
Harry Kim
Mayor
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
County of Hawai‘i
Office of the Mayor
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 (808) 961-8211 Fax (808) 961-6553
KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy., Bldg C Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740
(808) 323-4444 Fax (808) 323-4440
June 25, 2020
NEWS RELEASE
County of Hawai‘i to Take Over Kea`au Armory from State as Parks Facility
The State of Hawai‘i’s Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) recently approved
the transfer of the Kea`au Armory in Puna to the County of Hawai‘i.
The final processing is in progress, and once the transfer is complete, the County
Department of Parks and Recreation will utilize the Kea‘au Armory for recreational
purposes such as youth enrichment program activities, after-school programs, Summer
Fun and sports and fitness activities. The armory will also be available for meetings,
clubs and activities, town hall meetings, and emergency shelter use.
The property is currently utilized by the Hawai‘i Army National Guard to administer their
Starbase Program, an educational outreach program designed to improve skills and
th
knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the 5 grade level.
Discussions between the State Department of Defense and the County have resulted in
an agreement that allows the Starbase Program continued use of the facility until
another site can be found for the program.
In 1957, the Hawai‘i National Guard built the Kea`au Armory at the three-acre site and
utilized the facilities up to the present time. However, in recent years the site and
facilities became too small to accommodate the overall operations of the National
Guard, which has since moved its operations to the Keaukaha Military Reservation in
Hilo.
County of Hawai‘i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.