LIHU‘E — The exterior looks like what it is — a neglected, abandoned, run-down former Civil Defense building that has more recently been a place for people to do drugs and vandalize.

But it’s getting a new lease on life. It is proposed to be the permanent home for the Kaua‘i Police Activities League program.

With support from Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry and the community, the 27,000-square-foot facility on the grounds of Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapa‘a is envisioned to become a gathering place for youth, according to KPD officer Mark Ozaki and Lt. Michael Contrades.

They made a presentation on the program and plan for the building to members of the county Police Commission, Friday, at the Historic County Building.

A 10-year lease, at a cost of $1 a year, has been signed with the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation, for the facility, and plans are to renovate it, Contrades said.

The intent is to turn it into a positive space, where wrestling, jiu jitsu, dance, physical fitness and self-defense classes can be held for school-aged children, with places for tutoring and other academic pursuits, and a K-PAL office, they said.

There are around 1,500 youth and over 300 adult volunteers on the island participating in K-PAL events, including flag football, wrestling, jiu jitsu, cheerleading, boxing, baseball, basketball and other programs. A nonprofit corporation was established in 2002.

As Kaua‘i is the only island without wrestling as a high school sport, the idea to start a youth wrestling program was formed a few years ago, with support from the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste, Ozaki said.

Baptiste found the necessary $12,000 for a wrestling mat, and now three such mats are in use on the island, Ozaki said.

There is interest, talent and potential in terms of wrestling on the island, he said.

There are state youth wrestling and baseball pitch, hit and run program champions from Kaua‘i who were guided in the K-PAL program, he said.

The recent start of a Sea Scouts program on the island has people from other islands calling Kaua‘i to get information on how to start similar programs, he said.

K-PAL is predominantly a volunteer organization, though Perry has approved some overtime for KPD officers involved in the program, said Ozaki, who is the school resource officer at Kaua‘i High School but on the first furlough Friday this week was assigned other duties because the school was closed.

•Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.