Allan Ah San has been appointed as University of Hawai’i president Evan Dobelle’s senior staffer to oversee $250 million in construction and maintenance projects planned at UH campuses statewide, including Kaua’i Community College. About $10 million in projects not connected
Allan Ah San has been appointed as University of Hawai’i president Evan Dobelle’s senior staffer to oversee $250 million in construction and maintenance projects planned at UH campuses statewide, including Kaua’i Community College.
About $10 million in projects not connected with the $250 million are planned for the Kaua’i campus.
Plans call for $4.7 million for a machine shop for the electronic technology division and $4.8 million for food service renovations at the campus center. Both projects are scheduled to be completed by early 2002.
Projects included in the $250 million are to expand the UH system’s student capacity, to increase its research capability, replace aging classrooms and offices, and to bring “our campuses near-current on repair and maintenance projects,'” Dobelle said.
The work “marks the greatest commitment of dollars to new facilities and repair and maintenance projects in the shortest time span in the university’s history,” he said.
All of the projects are planned for the next 12 to 14 months.
In selecting Ah San to monitor the work, Dobelle said he “brings a wealth of talent and experience to this task.”
Associated with the university for 30 years, Ah San was most recently the associate vice president for the administration and has served in various administrative capacities. He holds a degree in finance from the university.
Of the $250 million appropriated for the systemwide work, Governor Ben Cayetano has released or will release $52 million in capital improvement funds that were authorized during this year’s regular and special legislative sessions.
The work includes $13 million for a medicine and cancer research center at UH-Manoa, $10 million for maintenance and repair of facilities statewide, $8 million for campus development at the UH West O’ahu campus, $4 million to meet health, safety and code requirements, $3.7 million for high technology programs at Honolulu Community College, $4.7 million for infrastructure repairs statewide, $2 million for a food service program at Maui Community College, and $1 million for a science and technology building at UH-Hilo.
Also authorized is $17 million for repairs and maintenance at the universrity and community college campuses, and $150 million in revenue bonds for the construction of a new university health and wellness center on O’ahu.
Dobelle said the plans mark “an intense period of renewal and revival for our campuses on all islands.”
Staff writer Lester Chang contributed to this report.
