Construction of new track at Vidinha Stadium set

LIHU‘E — Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste yesterday announced plans are underway to install a rubberized track at Vidinha Stadium, culminating a dream that was born 25 years ago.

GKO Consulting Engineers, based in Honolulu, has been awarded a contract to design a 400-meter track, which is to be constructed at an estimated cost of $1.2 million.

Baptiste, who met with reporters in his office at the Lihu‘e Civic Center, said he anticipates the construction of the project to be completed by March 2005. When completed, the project will provide better training opportunities for Kaua‘i’s youths, and help put them on par with the best young athletes in the state.

“For years, Kaua‘i athletes have not had comparable opportunities to their peers around the state,” Baptiste said. “They often had to enter statewide competitions at a huge disadvantage. I’m pleased that we are finally able to address this situation.”

The track, when improved, should help the likes of Joe Locey, a star athlete from Kapa‘a High School, Baptiste said.

Mel Nishihara, who heads the county’s Department of Public Works Parks Division, said the project will allow for the holding of state tournaments and invitational track meets.

Kaua‘i is the last county without a rubberized track, Nishihara said.

The rubberized track also will provided more recreational opportunities for the public when it is completed.

With the design plans about to be completed, county officials will soon begin the procurement process for the construction of the track.

The construction work involves:

• Reconfiguration of the track, which is currently 440 yards long. Track events have now been converted into the metric system of measurement, and the track will now be reconfigured to 400 meters’
• Laying of the rubberized, all-weather surface. The existing surface consists of compacted cinder, which will be removed;
• Grading around the high-jump and long-jump areas to mesh with the use of the new track.

Work on the project is expected to be done between November of this year and March 2005, and during that time Vidinha Stadium will be closed for athletic events.

“(High school) soccer will be played outside the 10 acres (on which the stadium is located), he said. Soccer events and activities are likely to be played at the Kapa‘a Beach Park or Hanapepe Stadium, which both boast soccer fields, Baptiste said.

Because of the construction work, the track also will not be available for use by the public, he said.

When the track becomes operational, residents or school athletes can use shoes with small spikes, or regular running shoes, Baptiste said.

The project is to be developed at a cost of $1.2 million, with the federal, state and Kaua‘i County governments each contributing $400,000.

The federal portion will come from the Land Water Conservation Fund, which is administered by the National Park Service and locally by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Parks Division, Nishihara said. The federal funds are available to the state for the construction of park facilities and the acquisition of land throughout the state, he said.

State leaders had to have a comprehensive outdoor plan in place to be eligible for the funds, Nishihara said.

The rubberization of the track was a key priority of Maxine Correa, a Kalaheo community leader and a one-time chairwoman of the Kaua‘i County Council. She sought the track improvement for the benefit of Kaua‘i youth.

Baptiste thanked state House Reps. Ezra Kanoho, D-East Kaua‘i-South Kaua‘i and Bertha Kawakami, D-West Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, for their efforts in the past to have state funds set aside for the long-sought improvement. In the past, state Legislature and Kaua‘i County officials had each set aside $30,000 for the design of the track, Baptiste said. But the state portion was never released. Dave Walker, a Westside leader who coached track athletes at Waimea High School, is working with the West Kaua‘i Rotary Club to have an electronic timing system installed for the new track.

Lester Chang, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.