One of the questions voiced frequently about large projects in our community is, “why does it cost so much?”
The simple answer is complexity. From public transit to jails, prisons and hospitals, these projects are long, layered and scrutinized at every angle. In our democratic system, a project that impacts the overall community takes years just to plan. The cost is not only about the building materials and labor needed for construction.
To begin, the process of determining a vision and goals involves a deep dive to assess what is currently working and what isn’t and, importantly, listening to various stakeholders and their occasionally competing needs and desires. Finding a site for projects needing a new location that can accommodate the structure and its purposes, and one the community accepts, requires years of assessment and community outreach. That effort is followed by months of negotiation with land owners/users.
Our society’s regulatory framework requires thorough assessment of environmental and community impacts, including soil testing, land surveys, and engineering studies. Regulatory review and permitting alone can extend timelines by months and even years.
Changes in direction, funding, political will, etc. occur over time and planning must evolve and be tested against changing or new public leadership and, sometimes, philosophy. This is healthy, but it takes time.
A further complexity in Hawai‘i, as in some other states, is the need for private funding to supplement public investment in infrastructure projects, requiring careful assessment of private sector market interest amongst the vagaries of societal change and changing priorities which can further extend timelines.
Yet the most difficult of all prior to the actual construction might be finalizing a plan that addresses current issues, understands the past and works towards a future that is unknown.
Bettina Mehnert,FAIA, LEED AP
President & CEO
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