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Protestors say Banzai Skate Park not being built as promised

By Brianne Randle


The dozens of protestors who lined Kamehameha Highway, say this is one of their last attempts to get their message heard.

They want the Banzai Skate Park, but not the one that's being built.

"Oh well we're getting skate park, but what we're getting is a terrible skate park when we were promised a world class skate park," said north shore resident, Steve Ellis.

The north shore community has been waiting for a skate park for the past 30 years, and in 2003 they were given funds to build it but so far, not much has been done.

The skate park was originally contracted to be built by Dreamland Skateparks. But according to Mayor Hannemann's office the start date was delayed. And, escalating construction costs and unforeseen site conditions forced the project to be scaled-down.

"When you let a project like this lag on for two, three, two-and-a-half years, of course the price of everything goes up," said Ellis.

Those additional costs forced the general contractor, PER Inc., to redesign the skate park facility and hire a new consultant to complete the park.

A consultant some in the community say isn't doing a good job.

"They're making the skate park all junk and they said it would be like one of the best skate parks and they're not really making it that good, so we're protesting to make it better," said north shore resident, Tiger Doerner.

But as the crowd took their message from the street to the site, some of what they had to say was lost when a worker at the construction site became agitated.

For now, construction at the site is scheduled to continue and be completed in December.

Protestors still hope some resolution can be reached.

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