Hāmākua Youth Center

As the Hamakua Youth Center celebrates its 25th year of service we want to share an important
update with you regarding our aspirations to expand our capacity and offerings for the young
people and families of the community we serve.

Five years ago we took a bold step toward the future of the organization by purchasing the
unused Okada Hospital building in Honoka'a from the University of Hawai’i Foundation. Our
vision was to refurbish the 90-year-old structure to triple our present (rented) program facility
and expand our space to include gardening, a certified kitchen, art and recording studios, and
other projects, and enhanced programs for teens, as well as community gatherings. The
University of Hawai’i Foundation had received the building as a donation and they sold it to us at
a reasonable price, funded by a low interest federal loan from the USDA. We knew this would
be an arduous undertaking, but we were energized to take it on, and we felt confident that, while
it would be a stretch, we could raise the $1 million or so required to complete the project.
Unfortunately, as we got deeper into the discovery and planning phases, we discovered a host
of surprising and ultimately insurmountable challenges.

Through our environmental testing diligence we found that both the Okada Building and the lot it
sits on are contaminated with heavy metals and chemical compounds that make the property
unsafe for youth and community activities - none of which had been disclosed before we
purchased the building. Initially we thought we would be able to mitigate the toxins and reclaim
the property, but it has become clear that the required efforts to renovate the building and
alleviate the toxins and estimated $8 million dollar costs are simply beyond our capacity.
In early 2024 our board of directors began exploring how best to honorably withdraw from the
project. While we do not believe there was any intent to withhold information when we
purchased the building, we have nevertheless reached out to the University of Hawai’i
Foundation and Pacific Coast Properties, the realtor that handled the transaction, to see if there
is a way to recoup any of the nearly $400,000 in expenses we have incurred to date. We are
hoping to engage in a negotiation in the months ahead.

Meanwhile, the Hamakua Youth Center continues to provide after school and summer programs
to keiki, youth and their families. It’s been a tough year for fundraising and the Okada project
has demanded attention and resources that must be refocused on keeping our doors open and
programs running, as well as investigating suitable alternatives to realize our expansion dreams.
If you made a donation or restricted grant for the Okada project, please rest assured that the
funds were used as directed for the diligence and design development process or they were
unspent. In cases where funds were unspent, we are asking funders to repurpose their
donations to the center's current needs.

​

Despite the obstacles we have shared above, as well as the challenges of Covid and the
steadily increasing costs to run the Center, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve the
growing needs of our community. We hope that you will continue to invest in our work and in the
young people and families we serve at this critical time.

If you would like to learn more and/or discuss your involvement further, please email us at
director@hamakuayouthcenter.net or leave a message at 808 383-3514 and someone will
return your call.