Hawaii Pharmacy School Building Construction to Begin Soon

Article

A pharmacy school facility for the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy will finally be built this summer.

A pharmacy school facility for the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy will finally be built this summer.

Even though the pharmacy school has existed since 2007, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2014, students have had to attend class at 5 different temporary sites, according to

Pacific Business News.

One of major obstacles has been money. Although the university was awarded state-approved funds for a new school, the construction bids came in too high.

Lawmakers had set aside $28 million in bonds, plus the university was expected to raise another $5 million,

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald

reported. However, the university needed to use the money before it expired on June 30, 2016, and it still needed to raise $5 million more before the construction.

When the bids for the project came in too high last fall, the university had to consider factors like putting the project out to bid again, making changes to the construction plans, or seeking private funding.

The lowest bid was around $32.5 million,

Pacific Business News

reported in April 2016.

Since then, the university has rearranged its research laboratories into teaching laboratories and also added $1.3 million more to its funds to cover the project, school spokesman Dan Meisenzahl told

Pacific Business News.

Isemoto Contracting Co. and the university settled on a $31.3 million contract, which had previously been for $32.6 million.

“We’re happy that the project is going to be underway, barring any unforeseen hurdles,” Meisenzahl told

Pacific Business News

. Hopefully, class can start in the fall of 2018.”

The construction of the 45,000-square-foot building is expected to start in June 2016.

Related Videos
Pharmacy, medicine and senior woman consulting pharmacist on prescription. Healthcare, shopping and elderly female in consultation with medical worker for medication box, pills or product in store- Image credit: C Daniels/peopleimages.com | stock.adobe.com
Laboratory test tubes and solution with stethoscope background | Image Credit: Shutter2U - stock.adobe.com
Image credit: Andrea Izzotti
Inflation Reduction Act is shown using the text and the US flag - Image credit: Andrii | stock.adobe.com
Pharmacy Interior | Image Credit: Tyler Olson - stock.adobe.com
Male pharmacist selling medications at drugstore to a senior woman customer | Image Credit: Zamrznuti tonovi - stock.adobe.com
Pharmacist assists senior woman in buying medicine in pharmacy - Image credit: Drazen | stock.adobe.com
Pharmacy, medicine and senior woman consulting pharmacist on prescription. Healthcare, shopping and elderly female in consultation with medical worker for medication box, pills or product in store - Image credit: C Daniels/peopleimages.com | stock.adobe.com
Image credit: fidaolga - stock.adobe.com
Pharmacists checking inventory at hospital pharmacy- Image credit: Jacob Lund | stock.adobe.com
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.