There is a bright future on the horizon for Papa‘aloa and the Hamakua Coast with the newly acquired $10 million for a new community gym.
In October 2021, the County of Hawaii notified the Papa‘aloa community that their beloved gym would not reopen after COVID-19 and would be demolished due to extensive termite damage.
After hearing the disappointing news, many community members banded together to ensure a new gym would be built in its place.
On March 1, the County of Hawaii received a letter from Gov. Josh Green stating that the state will be releasing $5 million in general obligation bond funds for the Papa‘aloa Community Center Gym.
The county will be matching that with another $5 million, bringing the total for plans, design and construction of the future Papa‘aloa Community Center Gym to $10 million.
“It feels just fantastic. I firmly believe in the community getting together to collaborate with the government to get what we need,” Aunty Lucille Chung said. “Kids from schools, community members, kupuna, everyone got involved. It has been great working together with Heather Kimball and Mo Messina who have also been fabulous.”
County councilmember Heather Kimball and Parks and Recreation director Maurice Messina have been meeting with the community and advocating for a new gym since the old one was deemed unsalvageable.
“This is actually awesome. I’ve never seen such a quick turnaround, but it’s because of the community being so involved every step of the way,” Kimball said. “All of the communities on the Hamakua Coast and everyone from kupuna to keiki have been involved and they did a great job advocating for themselves.”
Dave Molenaar has been part of the community advocacy group to get a new facility built for the continuously growing population of Hamakua, many of which are 60 years old and older.
“What’s great is that this is not just a gym for Papa‘aloa. This will serve as a gathering place for every community on the Hamakua Coast, from Ninole to Ookala, this is so important,” Molenaar said. “The silver tsunami has hit Hamakua and the seniors here need activities and a chance to engage with each other. This will be a completely new hub.”
Now that the gym has been demolished, a new grassy area is in its place and will be fenced for outdoor sports for now.
Molenaar is excited for the reopening of the Papa‘aloa Park, which has been closed for construction and renovations to get the park in compliance with standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. A grand reopening is set for Saturday, April 8.
The tennis courts were redone and pickleball courts and lights were added to the courts to help address the growing popularity of the sport.
“We’re really excited about playing on the new pickleball courts,” Molenaar said. “When we started Papa‘aloa Pickleball in 2019, we had 180 people sign up in 8 months. Players from Honokaa, Paauilo, Ninole and even Hilo have traveled to play up here and it’s great that we’ll have this space.”
Chung has been part of the Papa‘aloa Neighborhood Association for nearly 60 years and has seen the gym change throughout her life. She and other community members have frequently worked with the county government to get things done and are excited that a new facility can be built for a new generation.
“Now that I’m in my 80s, I love seeing a new generation coming in as leaders since us old people won’t be around forever,” Chung said. “We have been working with the government very collaboratively for a long time and it takes work and patience. But it’s worth it for the love we have for our community and I want to make sure this next generation has services and what they need.”
Molenaar hopes the future facility will be big enough to encompass as many sports and activities as possible. He also hopes it can be a shelter in case of emergency weather for the isolated community.
The demolition of the gym came more than 30 years after the sugar plantations closed for good and it was time for the community to see a change.
“With so many people moving in, it is so important to have this space for students as well as the growing kupuna population,” Molenaar said. “This is going to be a great way to revive the communities on Hamakua and having a new gathering place is a necessary for that rebirth. It’s very exciting that in three to four years, we could have something brand new and so cool.”
The grand reopening for the Papa‘aloa Park will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 8.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com