HILO, Hawaii – $5,900,000 has been released by Governor Neil Abercrombie for the Youth ChalleNGe Academy’s relocation from Kulani to Keaukaha.

In a media release detailing the release of $12.9 million in state funds for various National Guard, Civil Defense and health facilities on Oahu and Hawaii Island, the governor’s office says the Youth ChalleNGe money is for:

Construction of one, 100-person billet to house the cadets of the Youth Challenge Academy at the Keaukaha Military Reservation (KMR), as well as renovation of Building 621 for the addition of restrooms and other miscellaneous facility and infrastructure improvements (The relocation of the Hawaii National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy campus on the Big Island from the Kulani Correctional Facility to KMR is expected to provide cost savings, mostly from utilities, that directly translate into the potential for increasing the number of cadets allowed into the program; additional benefits include improved proximity to medical facilities in Hilo and National Guard resources and personnel)

The move is not being done just for the benefit of the Youth ChalleNGe program. The state is currently planning to re-open Kulani Correctional Facility, and the program for at risk youth had to be relocated. The history of the Youth ChalleNGe Academy at Kulani is intertwined with the sudden closing of the prison, as well as the subsequent plan to re-open it. That story is a part of the retrospective video below.

State to re-open Kulani – TIMELINE

The $5.9 million is the costliest item on the list. The other National Guard and Civil Defense expenditures are:

$4,050,000 – National Guard Facilities, statewide – Design and construction for upgrades and improvements to National Guard facilities statewide, including major renovations in the mauka and makai wings of Building 46 at Kalaeloa, Oahu (electrical, water, sewer, and air conditioning)

$500,000 – Army Guard Facilities, Oahu – Construction to renovate Hawaii Army National Guard Facilities at Kalaeloa, Oahu, including renovation of Buildings 282 and 1784, as well as various utilities improvements (These funds are necessary in order to receive federal funds; total project cost is $19,800,000 with $2,300,000 in state funds and $16,500,000 in federal funds)

$225,000 – State Civil Defense, Building 303, Oahu – Design and construction to provide exterior building hardening improvements at Building 303, which houses the Emergency Operating Center Annex, the State Media Center, Joint Information Center, administrative offices, and emergency equipment and supplies within Diamond Head Crater; the project includes upgrades to the roof, walls, windows, doors, and other building components that are vulnerable to high winds and flying debris (These funds are necessary in order to receive federal funds; total project cost is $900,000 with $225,000 in state funds and $675,000 in federal funds)

All items have been approved by the legislature.

In his media release, the governor states:

Gov. Neil Abercrombie

“Our recent brush with Tropical Storm Flossie highlights the need for enhanced National Guard, emergency management and health facilities, and these funds will strengthen our state’s disaster preparedness capabilities. The Youth Challenge Academy program, by working with island youth, is likewise an investment in the self-reliance of our future community members and leaders. I thank our state legislators for recognizing these projects that improve our ability to serve the people of Hawaii.”