(BIVN) – The County of Hawaiʻi on Monday announced it will be taking over the Keaʻau Armory from the State of Hawaiʻi and will be using it as a parks facility.

The State of Hawai‘i Board of Land and Natural Resources recently approved the transfer of the armory, located at the Keaʻau Shipman Park, to the County of Hawai‘i. Once the transfer is complete, the County Department of Parks and Recreation will utilize the facility “for recreational purposes such as youth enrichment program activities, after-school programs, Summer Fun and sports and fitness activities,” officials say.

“The armory will also be available for meetings, clubs and activities, town hall meetings, and emergency shelter use,” the County said in a news release. The County added:

In 1957, the Hawai‘i National Guard built the Keaʻau 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.

The Starbase Program, administered by the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, currently uses the armory for its educational outreach “designed to improve skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the 5th grade level.” Under the transfer agreement, the Starbase Program will be allowed to continue using the facility until another site can be found.