PAPAKOLEA, HI – The Papakōlea Community Development Corporation (PCDC) is excited to announce that the Hawaiian Homes Commission approved Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) staff recommendation to award PCDC $500,000 to support its Pūowaina Research and Education Project on February 18, 2025. The goal of the project is to conduct due diligence, and technical studies required to complete an Environmental Assessment and a Land Stewardship Plan.
“We are excited to receive this news, and look forward to meeting with community members and stakeholders, that seek to build the Native Hawaiian Education and Culture Center at Pūowaina,” stated Ms. Kuuipo Enos, PCDC President. “The community selected this project as a priority during the 2009 DHHL Regional Planning Process, and it has taken over 16 years to get to this point.”
PCDC will convene community meetings around the design of each building within the complex, as soon as the grant agreement is executed. Over $2 million of grants were submitted within the last six months to support this project. Kamehameha Schools (KS) has been supporting the project through youth-focused research and lesson development.
Pictured below, is the most rendering. Community will be convened to take a closer look and dive into the design of each building, to ensure it truly resembles a facility that they will use and be proud of. PCDC is grateful to DHHL, KS, and its project partners, Group70, Hefenua Consultants, and TiLeaf Group, for their contributions to the ongoing project.