The city issued a building permit Thursday to the owners of Ala Moana Center, clearing the way for repairs to begin on the shopping mall’s railings and related facilities.
One man died and another was critically injured in mid-October when the third-floor railing they were leaning on collapsed and the two fell to the ground level.
The city issued a Notice of Violation against General Growth LLC after inspectors discovered rust and spalling, or crumbling, where the collapsed rail was embedded in concrete, as well as on other railings nearby. The owner asked Desman Design Management, a structural engineering firm, to inspect the railings throughout the sprawling mall.
Because General Growth is actively working to correct the situation, it is not being fined, a Department of Planning and Permitting spokesman said. The owner has 180 days to begin work.
The permit estimates the value of the work at $4 million, and the permit fee, based on that value, was $19,915.
Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. is listed as the general contractor.
The initial citation called for the violation to be corrected by Nov. 14, but General Growth has had to request several extensions as it waited for the building permit to be approved.
MAUI
Social worker hired to lead new homeless program
Maui County has hired a veteran social worker for the newly created position of homeless program coordinator to lead a new homeless program division.
Maui-born David Nakama, who worked more than 18 years for the state Judiciary, started work Feb. 16.
“There was no office or division like that,” said Lois Whitney, assistant communications director for Mayor Alan Arakawa. “This is a newly created division and a newly created position to address this growing problem.”
Out of the 7,921 homeless people counted across the islands in January 2016, 1,145 were found in Maui County.
Nakama received a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and later joined the Judiciary as a social worker.
His new job entails working with social service providers and various state, county and federal agencies to help homeless people and families find permanent housing and reducing homelessness on Maui.
HAWAII ISLAND
Drugs uncovered at campsite
A woman and a man face 12 charges, including first-degree promotion of dangerous drugs.
Michelle Wright, 43, and Samson Keanaaina, 53, were charged Thursday as a result of police executing a search warrant at a campsite at the Old Kona Airport Beach Park on the Big Island.
Police said during the search Wednesday, various drugs were seized, including more than 170 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine and 0.4 grams of suspected black tar heroin, along with more than $2,000 in cash.
