WAILUKU - Work has stopped to repair cracking tiles outside 2nd Circuit Court's Hoapili Hale until a structural consultant is found to address underlying issues, according to the state Department of Accounting and General Services.
Fences and barricades have been put up, with signs warning people to stay out of the construction area that includes steps on both the Main Street and Wells Street sides of the four-story building at 2145 Main St.
Courtrooms for Circuit, District and Family courts and a parking garage are part of the state Judiciary complex.
Article Photos
A pedestrian walks by a fenced-in area Thursday afternoon in the courtyard of 2nd Circuit Court’s Hoapili Hale in Wailuku. Work that had begun to repair cracking porcelain tiles has been suspended because it was discovered that the slab underneath the tile has been moving with the shifting of the courthouse building.
The Maui News / MELISSA TANJI photo
The latest repairs are part of an attempt to fix ongoing problems with cracking porcelain tiles at the state courthouse building, which opened in the mid-1980s. The initial project to repair the tiles began in 2000, with the total cost now at $926,779, according to DAGS.
Soon after the most recent work began and workers removed some sections of cracked tile, it was discovered that the slab beneath the tile was moving with the shifting of the building as it expanded in heat and contracted in cold, DAGS reported.
Now bids have to be solicited for a structural consultant who would make recommendations on how to proceed.
Until then, a contract with Despins General Construction to replace the cracked tile has been put on hold.
Another courthouse project, started in November 2010 to upgrade equipment in its three elevators, was completed in early January at a cost of $960,857, according to DAGS. However, the state is waiting to have a final inspection done on the elevator used to transport prisoners in a nonpublic area of the building.
