{"id":114092,"date":"2025-08-02T22:36:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T22:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/114092\/"},"modified":"2025-08-02T22:36:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T22:36:19","slug":"ready-to-serve-for-generations-to-come-improved-waiakea-uka-park-reopens-big-island-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/114092\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready to serve for generations to come: Improved Wai\u0101kea Uka Park reopens : Big Island Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hawai\u2018i County Parks and Recreation on July 29 welcomed the community back to Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo with a reopening celebration and blessing ceremony marking the completion of major upgrades 2 years in the making.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bigislandnow.com\/file\/bigislandnow\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-5.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-5-1024x652.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-406026\"\/><\/a>Hawai\u2018i County Mayor Kimo Alameda \u2014 who grew up on a ranch in the Wai\u0101kea Uka community \u2014 speaks July 29, 2025, during the reopening celebration and blessing ceremony for the newly improved Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWai\u0101kea Uka Park has long been a cornerstone of our community,\u201d said Hawai\u2018i County Mayor Kimo Alameda \u2014 who grew up on a ranch in the Wai\u0101kea Uka community \u2014 as quoted in a county release following the day\u2019s festivities. \u201cI am so humbled and honored to be here celebrating these improvements that I know will serve many more generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reopening celebration featured a blessing, arts and crafts activities, food and refreshments, a volleyball clinic and a baseball scrimmage between the Wai\u0101kea Uka Tigers and Boys &amp; Girls Club Hilo.<\/p>\n<p>Main elements of the about $12 million park improvement project were the construction of a new 4,400-square-foot community center, greatly increased on-site parking, a walking path and a realigned ballfield with a new concession building, comfort station, dugouts and scorekeeper\u2019s booth.<\/p>\n<p><b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The new community center \u2014 with a capacity of about 180 people \u2014 is fully equipped with folding tables and chairs to support a variety of uses.<\/p>\n<p>It will be an important facility for senior and keiki programs, community meetings and various public gatherings.<\/p>\n<p>It also stands ready to serve the public during certain natural disaster situations, when needed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bigislandnow.com\/file\/bigislandnow\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-2-1024x580.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-406023\"\/><\/a>The new community center at Wai\u0101kea Uka Park stands ready to serve the community for generations to come. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<p><b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Improvements were also made at the Stanley Costales Wai\u0101kea Uka Gym, including interior and exterior painting, refinishing of the court\u2019s surface and other needed repairs.<\/p>\n<p>The children\u2019s playground was fenced in for safety, and playground safety surfacing was rehabilitated.<\/p>\n<p>Contact the Wai\u0101kea Uka Park recreation office at 808-959-9474 to ask about reserving the park\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n<p><b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Construction and improvements began in May 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The project was funded with $5.4 million from Hawai\u2018i County and $6.6 million from the state.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"slider\">\n<li><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-4-1024x706.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"blurBG\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-4-1024x706.jpg\"\/>\n<p>Keiki enjoy games July 29, 2025, during the reopening celebration for Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-6-1024x693.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"blurBG\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-6-1024x693.jpg\"\/>\n<p>Big Island state Rep. Sue Lee Loy, who represents Hilo at the state Capitol in Honolulu, speaks during the July 29, 2025, reopening and blessing ceremony for Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-1-1024x711.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"blurBG\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-1-1024x711.jpg\"\/>\n<p>The reopening celebration July 29, 2025, for Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo featured a baseball scrimmage between the Wai\u0101kea Uka Tigers and Boys &amp; Girls Club Hilo played on the park\u2019s newly realigned ballfield. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-3-1024x974.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"blurBG\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Waiakea-Uka-park-reopens-3-1024x974.jpg\"\/>\n<p>Hawai\u2018i County officials and others get ready to cut the maile lei July 29, 2025, to officially reopen Wai\u0101kea Uka Park and its new community center in Hilo. (Photo Courtesy: Hawai\u2018i County)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hawai\u2018i County Parks and Recreation on July 29 welcomed the community back to Wai\u0101kea Uka Park in Hilo&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":114093,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[71799,71800,14887,14888,71801,746,21647,71802,71803,21649,71804,71805,42755,71806,71807,71808,71809,159,67,132,68,71810,71811],"class_list":{"0":"post-114092","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-2-years-after-construction-began","9":"tag-about-12-million-improvement-project","10":"tag-big-island-news","11":"tag-big-island-now","12":"tag-construction-started-in-may-2023","13":"tag-environment","14":"tag-hawaii-county","15":"tag-improvements-to-stanley-costales-waiakea-uka-gym","16":"tag-increased-parking","17":"tag-mayor-kimo-alameda","18":"tag-new-community-center","19":"tag-new-concession-building","20":"tag-parks-and-recreation","21":"tag-realigned-ballfield","22":"tag-reopen","23":"tag-reopening-celebration-and-blession-ceremony","24":"tag-reopening-july-29","25":"tag-science","26":"tag-united-states","27":"tag-unitedstates","28":"tag-us","29":"tag-waiakea-uka-park","30":"tag-walking-path"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}