(BIVN) – A Draft Environmental Assessment for Hilo Medical Center’s new Administrative Services Building has been published in the April 8th issue of The Environmental Notice. 

The document details the hospital’s plans to build a two-story, 15,000-square foot structure to provide office areas for staff.

Location of the future Administrative Services Building, from the Draft EA

From a section of the Draft EA describing the “purpose and need” for the project:

A new facility is needed for current personnel now housed in other parts of the campus, including administrative, nursing, marketing and contracts staff, and approximately 35 physician residents, as well for as learning and simulation spaces. Modern facilities in an adequately sized space will improve the ability of HMC to efficiently deliver medical services critical for the health and well-being of the residents of the Island of Hawai‘i.

The Hilo Medical Center says it was “recently obliged to demolish the old two-story ‘West Wing’ Administration building, which was built in 1950 and had serious deficiencies that prevented its continued use or rehabilitation. Though eliminating long-used floor space, this action also opened up an area on the campus for a new, modern facility.”

Renderings of the planned building from the Draft EA. The document says the architectural design follows the “New Formalism” style of contemporary administration and healthcare buildings.

From the Draft EA:

It should be noted that the proposed project will overlap in time with two planned projects: the Hilo Medical Center New Medical Office Building (HMC 2022), planned for construction in late 2025-2026 across Waianuenue Avenue, as well as the Hilo Medical Center Expansion project, which is located adjacent to the main hospital building and will be implemented in two phases beginning in 2024 (HMC 2023). The new Medical Office Building will be a two-story, 18,750-square foot building adjacent to the new Hawaii Pacific Oncology Center Addition and Rural & Telehealth Center Unit for a variety of out-patient medical services. Phase 1 of the Medical Center Expansion will consist of a two-story structure to be built above the current physician and visitor parking and will house an ICU containing an expansion of up to 18 beds. The Phase 2 addition will consist of a three-story structure also located above the existing visitor parking. Planned facilities include a 12-bed Family Birthing Center. Both additions will connect to the existing HMC building via enclosed pedestrian bridges. These three independent projects – the New Medical Office Building, Hilo Medical Center Expansion and Administrative Services Building – have been conducted separately because they have unrelated functions, one focused on out-patient medical services, another on ICU and birthing facilities, and the other primarily on administrative and maintenance services. Although their adverse impacts have limited overlap, their joint impacts are considered together in the cumulative impacts analysis.

The document reports the cost of the improvements is currently estimated at $10.5 million. Work is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be complete by mid-2026.