WAIMEA—Gov. Ben Cayetano Tuesday announced that he will soon release $1 million to begin work on Phase II of the West Kaua’i Technology & Visitors Center. That’s half the amount that was appropriated for the project last year by the
WAIMEA—Gov. Ben Cayetano Tuesday announced that he will soon release $1
million to begin work on Phase II of the West Kaua’i Technology & Visitors
Center.
That’s half the amount that was appropriated for the project last
year by the state Legislature and about one-quarter of the projected $4 million
cost.
The balance of the funding is expected to come from federal and
private sources.
Gary Baldwin, spokesman for the Kaua’i Economic
Development Board, backers of the project, said the state funds will be used
for site acquisition and site work.
KEDB’s goal, he said, is to acquire
land adjoining the site of the Technology & Visitors Center in Waimea. KEDB
representatives Alton Miyamoto, Hollis Crozier and Mel Ventura will be
directing work on the project.
Tenants already committed to leasing space
in the new building include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln
Laboratory, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
Baldwin said he is “very,
very happy” that Cayetano has agreed to release the funding.
Cayetano said
he supports the project fully.
“We have a superior telecommunications
infrastructure, a time zone that permits business to be transacted in New York
and Tokyo in the same day, a well-educated workforce and an incomparable
quality of life,” the Governor said.
For these reasons and more, he said,
he is convinced that Hawai’i has a strong future in high-technology.
