Fulfilling the Dream:

 

 

 

The Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Phase 2 

 

 

Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Aloha!  From August 2020 to January 2023, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP) at Diamond Head held free quarterly Virtual Town Hall Meetings with the CIP Phase 2 Team and contractors to share information about the facility and updates to the construction. Below are the recordings and presentations from the town hall meetings.

E malama pono a noho maika’i!

Recordings and Presentations

2020 Town Hall Meetings

2021 Town Hall Meetings

2022 Town Hall Meetings

2023 Town Hall Meetings

Below are questions asked during the Town Hall meetings with the responses from the CIP Team and Contractors. To view the questions and answers, click on the plus icon on the right side of the bar.

Budget and Financing

What about balancing a short-term or long-term budget?

We are concerned about both, but right now we are most concerned about balancing the short-term budget for the project so that the project will be complete and usable.

You mentioned funding from the State & private funds. What is the outstanding funds?

There are furnishings, equipment, and other features in the plan that are still not funded.

How many donors donated money to Phase 2 and did the University of Hawaiʻi System or the government match those funds?

There have been almost 400 donors, foundations, corporations, and businesses that have donated to the CIP. The most significant donations will be from approximately 30 or so. The CIP is a public and private partnership. For Phase 2, $10 million was raised in private funding and the State of Hawaiʻi matched $20 million.

Will the revenue generated from the restaurant, private dining, & lounge be split with the University of Hawaiʻi System? Has the percentage split been determined?

Revenue generated by any of the activities of the CIP campus will be used to cover operational costs of the campus. Any surplus, after operations are covered, will be re-invested into programming.

I understand Phase 2 will be a “classroom” for our students, however, is the goal to also look at it as a revenue-generating arm to help Kapi’olani Community College operate?

The Phase 2 campus will provide opportunities for advanced students to continue learning across multiple culinary aspects: restaurant management internship, research, and development in the innovation lab, etc. Revenue generation is certainly part of the business plan, with revenue being re-invested in the CIP. The restaurant, the auditorium, and the innovation lab will all have revenue generation potential.  For example, advanced professional development and continuing education classes/workshops for visitors are a significant part of the CIPʻs revenue-generating plan.

Could you summarize or illustrate how Phase 2 is being funded? 

Unlike CIP Phase 1 which had numerous funding streams, Phase 2 has just two. The State of Hawaiʻi provided General Obligation Bonds in the amount of $20M were released, contingent upon the University of Hawaiʻi Foundations raising $10M in private donations.  That was accomplished, and we were able to award the contract this summer.

I want to Mahalo Dr. Hoshiko, Chancellor Pagotto, and the College community for being wonderful neighbors and bringing the Town Hall to us. How can we donate monies?

You can make an online donation. You can even add to the notes section that you are a part of our neighborhood if you’d like.

Currently, as the Chancellor mentioned, we are gearing up for furnishings and culinary and research equipment for food innovation, product development testing, and nutrition.

If you’d like to speak with me before making a decision, here is the contact information for Linh Hoang Poe:

Linh.Hoang@uhfoundation.org or please call (808) 734-9570

How much is it costing for Phase 2 to be built?

The construction contract for Phase 2 was awarded at $25.7M.  This is a Design-Build contract, so a portion of that amount goes for the design of the buildings.

General Construction

What will the construction noise level be like during the daytime?

Besides the concrete demolition, construction work will be similar to Phase 1, except that the Phase 2 site is further up the hill, so the noise level for the most part should be less than Phase 1.

Can the construction crews park at Kapiʻolani Community College, if needed?

There shouldn’t be a need for construction vehicles to park within the community.  All should fit on site.  However, if there is a busy day with several subs on-site, then yes, they can park on the main campus.

Do you know if any bird habitats around the area are being impacted by Phase 2?

None that we are aware of. The Environmental Assessment stated there were no threatened or endangered species in the area of our project.  I understand that there were a couple of bird nests found during Phase 1, but Phase 2 has much fewer trees than Phase 1 had so the probability is lower.  However, if anything is found, the contractor and the University of Hawaiʻi will take appropriate action.

When will construction begin? I heard from the last town hall meeting it was October. When in October?

The original schedule showed construction starting on Oct 26, 2020, but it started on November 2, 2020.

During the winter break will construction cease?

We are planning on continuing work during the winter break except for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

When construction begins, what is the estimated amount of trucks that will be used to haul to and from the site?

The number of trucks will vary, but the large trucks will only be used occasionally, typically for individual deliveries or for concrete pours or earthwork.  Trucks are timed in their delivery and hauling so there should not be multiple trucks on the same road at the same time. The closest spacing of large trucks should be approximately 20-30 minutes apart.

How many trucks are expected on a daily basis? Campbell Street can be quite crowded and dangerous running through a residential neighborhood. Kapahulu is overused as well. The exit route via the route near the mall seems to be a safer route.

The number of trucks will vary.  For the most part, large trucks will be used occasionally, when bringing concrete to, or removing materials from the site.  Concrete trucks are timed in their delivery so there should not be multiple trucks on the same road at the same time. The haul route, which was approved by the City and County of Honolulu, intends to use the main/large roads, moving vehicles in a counter-clockwise fashion. Kīlauea Ave will be used as part of the exit route back onto the freeway.

Can we have a link to the presentation?

The link to the presentation can be found on the CIP Town Hall website.

This is for the contractor or engineer, will Phase 2 be built right on the original foundation as Cannon Club or will you be digging that up and starting new?

The Phase 2 buildings will be built on new foundations and will not re-use the Cannon Club building foundations.

What kind of noise level can we anticipate? I live on Wauke Street.

Besides the concrete demolition, construction work will be similar to Phase 1, except that the Phase 2 site is further up the hill, so the noise level for the most part should be less than Phase 1.

What is the estimated date for the completion of Phase 2?

The construction completion is currently scheduled for the end of the year, 2022.

When construction begins what time will they start and end their work?

Our normal hours of construction will be 7:00 am-3:30 pm.

What will be done to mitigate the dust problem? The dust can have a terrible impact on houses’ interiors.

We will be installing an 8-feet tall dust fence around the perimeter of the site and watering it down during site work construction.

Where is the water runoff from Diamond Head located? Is it by the Innovation Center or by the Restaurant, Auditorium? Will it be underground?

There is an existing drainage swale located along the property edge which captures runoff coming down the slope of Diamond Head. For rainwater accumulated in Phase 2 of this project, there is an extensive underground drainage system being installed in this project, intercepting water flowing from the restaurant area, on the east and west sides, connecting to the City system. There are several underground detention chambers on the upper portion of the new parking area as well.

In the turnaround area, should there be bollards to protect vehicles from running into the building?

None are required, with the exception of the entry walkway and the delivery driveway. There will be a 6″ curb constructed along the turnaround.

Right now there is a bright, unshielded security light. It’s quite noticeable from a distance. Will all lights be shielded down?

Yes, the building lights are generally directed down and have to meet a certain BUG rating as part of the LEED design criteria.

When will the concrete wall that cuts into the mountain be covered? Itʻs quite striking now.

The rock veneer for the retaining walls is scheduled to be placed in Summer of 2023.

Will there be camouflage rock covering?

Yes, there will be stone rock veneer applied to the wall surface visible from the street as is existing in Phase 1 of this project. This rock veneer is scheduled to be in place in Summer of 2023.

Parking

Parking lots should be mostly covered by shade trees.

The parking lot for Phase 2 is narrow and up against Diamond Head. There is no space for trees to be planted in the middle of the parking lot. The design has tried to maximize the walkways and tree wells as much as possible next to the parking stalls.  Tree types are to match Phase 1 as much as possible.

Current tree wells probably do not allow for canopy shade trees to grow to adult size. I am happy to provide best practices in what soil volume and tree wells need to provide for this to occur. If planned properly, fewer tree wells will be needed if larger canopy tree spaces with adequate soil volume will help with this. City guidelines call for canopy shade trees. There are some great and innovative solutions we can look at to fit into your site plans exactly.

Thank you for the offer.  The City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting have reviewed and approved/permitted this site design, which takes into account the requirements from Phase 1.  The planting plan has been uploaded to the micro-website.

Are we using too much valuable space for cars?

After Phase 2 is completed, the campus will have three stalls more than required for a facility this size.

How many people are envisioned using the restaurant simultaneously? Is parking sufficient? Where would/will overflow parking go?

Anticipated seating will be for 100 – 150 guests during the dinner hours. Lunch periods will be primarily for private group banquets of 25 – 100 guests on reserved days. There will be a total of 112 parking stalls on the CIP campus, which exceeds the number required for this size facility. If there is a high-demand event, shuttle busses and valet service from the main campus will be used.

Are there plans to plant canopy shade trees to cover the parking areas? It looks like the lower parking lot has trees, but mostly just exposed asphalt?

Upper parking lot widths are narrow due to the slope of the site, therefore very little space is available on sidewalks adjacent to parking or in the middle of the parking lot. Narra, Kukui, and False Olive trees are planned for the parking lot area. Alahe’e and creeping Fig will also be planted along the ma uka retaining wall of the parking lot to obstruct the view of the wall and lower the heat retention of this solid surface.

How many stalls are planned upon completion?

There will be a total of 117 parking stalls on the CIP campus, which exceeds the number required for this size facility.  There are a total of 7 wheelchair-accessible parking stalls.  Four are in Phase 1 lower parking lot, one is in Phase 1 middle parking lot, and two will be built in Phase 2 upper parking lot.

Was the ma uka parking entrance/exit given further consideration to allow for left turns going downhill?

The current traffic flow was a requirement of the C&C in Phase 1 as part of the approved master plan.

I guarantee that people will make illegal turns into the one-way upper lot, so you may want to add another left turn lane at the upper lot. The lower parking area is also closer to the neighborhood houses, so left turns should be safer.

The close proximity of the Phase 2 driveway to the intersection of Makapuu/Diamond Head Road would not allow for adequate room for a left turn pocket.  The City did not want to allow left turns into and out of the Phase 2 driveway.  As such, signage and a center island were installed on the driveway of phase two to discourage this turn.  This requirement is part of the permit requirement for this campus and is written into the master plan approval from the city.

I understand the concept of the one-way in and out the road, but if people are coming from anywhere but ma kai of the campus, cars will be forced to go through the area neighborhoods to turn around if they wish to access the upper restaurant (or just to drop someone off by Uber, etc). Have you considered changing the pattern to reverse the entry/exit parking lots and make the lower one right turn only?

The current traffic flow was a requirement of the C&C in Phase 1.  It may take a little time, but once people know the pattern they will come from the south to enter the upper lot.

For Phase 2, where will the restaurant be located, and where on the map are entry and exit points for wheelchair accessibility?

There are a total of 7 wheelchair-accessible parking stalls on the CIP campus.  Four are in Phase 1 lower parking lot, one is in Phase 1 middle parking lot, and two will be built in Phase 2 upper parking lot.

With regards to the turn-style near the restaurant, can large touring buses make the clearance to drop off passengers and return back down the driveway?

We are not sure what the dimensions of the tour buses are, however, the turnaround was designed to accommodate emergency vehicles.

Approximately how many parking stalls will be built for Phase 2? How many parking stalls will be designated as handicap stalls?

The current design for Phase 2 includes 27 new parking stalls, two of which are wheelchair accessible. The total for Phases 1 and 2 will be 112 parking stalls, 7 of which are wheelchair accessible. There are also 2 EV charging stations in Phase 2. There are also handicapped stalls available in the lower parking lot and an elevator that can take patrons to the restaurant level.

Restaurant

Will the bar in the Restaurant be full service or just beer and wine?

The bar will be a full-service bar.

Will the restaurant be open at 7:00 am to catch the people going to Diamond Head and remain open until 8:00 – 9:00 pm?

The restaurant will be open for dinner hour dining. The day hours will depend upon how our academic classes, banquets, and events are developed in the new facility.

Sustainability

What will the energy cost be to operate Phase 2?

The building design is ongoing so that has not been determined yet.  However, the project will be using energy-efficient models and systems throughout and is on target to obtain LEED Silver certification.

What about solar panels?

Solar panels for hot water are being provided.  The design of the buildings is still underway and the design team is evaluating whether a PV system will be provided for LEED credit.

Will electric vehicle charging stations be available?

Yes, two EV stalls are being provided.

What about solar power generation and electric vehicle charging stations?

Kapiʻolani Community College has selected not to install PV panels to the project at this time. A solar hot water system is provided as part of each building. A photovoltaic system is not being provided as part of this project. Two new electric vehicle charging stations are being provided, one by the Restaurant and one by the Innovation Center.