The University recreation center requires expensive repairs after only four years

HONOLULU (KHON2) – A recreation center at the University of Hawaii needs hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs, only four years after its opening.

Water seeped through the gates of the Warrior Recreation Center, which caused the floor to rot in those areas.

The center itself is still being used by students and teachers, but Senator Donna Mercado Kim, vice president of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, points out that the floors have been left to rot next to the doors. She wonders why the problem was not solved when it started in 2014.

"The University of Hawaii really worked to fix it or fix it, or did you just wait until this year to make it work in?" Kim asked.

The state legislature approved $ 1 million last year to solve the problem and make additional improvements. Kim tells us that it might not have been so expensive if things were solved before.

He wonders if other projects within the university are not being addressed soon enough.

"I worry that these little problems are becoming big problems because someone is not paying attention to you and they make you wonder about the leadership and what is happening at the University of Hawaii," Kim said.

Dan Meisenzahl, a spokesman for the university, says the problem occurred at a time when the university was under different leadership. He says that UH solved the problem and asked for money from lawmakers in 2016.

"The problem was identified, it was included in the budget of the state legislature, and now we are moving forward with that project," he said.

Meisenzahl adds that the cost to fix the floor is approximately $ 250,000. The rest of the money will go towards lighting and other improvements.

Would it have cost less if it was fixed earlier?

"That could be the case," Meisenzahl said. "I think what's happening now is that the legislature gave us the money last fiscal year and we're in the process of spending that money, it's a design construction project, and that's one of the improvements here at the University of Hawaii. "

Meisenzahl adds that capital improvement projects are now being carried out much faster since the recreation center was built. And as for other projects, the Board of Regents receives quarterly updates, which are posted online .

The materials are already on the site, but Meisenzahl says the gym will have to close for a couple of months to do everything, so they'll wait until May when summer vacation begins.