Keaau-Mountain View library could begin to take shape as early as March
Construction could begin this spring on a new public library adjacent to the Keaau Middle School campus.
As the population of Puna continues to grow, the current public libraries serving Keaau and Mountain View have become increasingly insufficient to meet residents’ needs. The Hawaii State Public Library System considers both the Keaau and Mountain View libraries to be aging, outdated and too small to adapt to the growing Puna District, according to a 2023 environmental assessment for the new library project.
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Both libraries are also co-located with public schools — Keaau Middle School and Mountain View Elementary School — which raises conflicts with operational hours and school security.
The long-in-development Keaau-Mountain View Public Library, which ultimately is intended to replace both the existing Keaau and Mountain View libraries, also will sit on the Keaau Middle School property, but will remain separate from the school itself and will be located on a fenced-off, 1.7-acre portion of the school property.
“From a library services and operations viewpoint, the new location along Keaau-Pahoa Road will provide the Puna community with easier access to library resources,” Mallory Fujitani, spokeswoman for the Hawaii Office of the Librarian, said via email. “Upon completion, the current library buildings will be turned over to the (Department of Education) for their use. There should be limited disruption to school operations as the site for the new library is located away from the school campus.”
State Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, who represents both Keaau and Mountain View, said the location of the middle school at the Keaau-Pahoa bypass makes it accessible for the greatest number of Puna residents, including those in lower Puna.
On Jan. 3, the state awarded a $19.4 million contract to Honolulu-based Diede Construction Inc., with a start date of March 3 of this year. The end date of the contract is March 3, 2027.
However, the actual construction timeline is still unknown. Fujitani said via email the project is still awaiting a Hawaii County building permit. Only when that permit is obtained can the schedule be determined.
According to the county Department of Public Works’ EPIC permitting system, the project currently is undergoing a building plan review, which is supposedly 8% complete, according to EPIC.
Once completed, Fujitani said the increased size of the new library — about 13,900 square feet — will allow for a much larger book and materials collection, and a 1,000-square-foot meeting room will allow for various community uses.
Other amenities included in the building will be quiet and small group spaces, an outdoor reading area, a technology lab and more. The facility will include 42 parking spaces accessible through a separate driveway system from the middle school driveway.
While library users will not have to enter the school to access the library, sidewalks will be built connecting the library to the school for students. The library will otherwise be separated from the school by a fence.
“I’m excited to see this actually moving forward,” San Buenaventura said. “A lot of projects in Puna get waylaid depending on the current administration. … I’m thrilled this has kept going through a new gubernatorial administration.”
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.