A $548,000 project to restore the water-damaged second floor underway at Shinyei Nakamine Gymnasium Complex in Waianae District Park is projected for completion by the end of summer.

Better known as Waianae District park gym, the complex was named in honor of a local World War II Medal of Honor recipient.

It is home to a wide range of classes and activities six days per week, from pottery to karate.

Katie Boon/Civil Beat

Honolulu Parks and Recreation spokesman Nathan Serota said that the leak, which was first detected three years ago, caused electrical problems.

During an assessment of damage caused by the leak last year, asbestos were found. Classes were moved around to accommodate closing the second floor until the abatement project was completed in July 2017. Now that the complex is free of asbestos, the roof and electrical problems are being addressed.

Lighting and roof damage moved martial art classes, including taekwondo instructor Joanna Ramos’ class, from the two rooms on the second floor to the open space downstairs.

Ramos is thankful that there may be an end in sight to sharing the multipurpose room.

“We’re sharing with the boxing right now, which we appreciate,” said Ramos. “We’ve been kicked out of the room for two and a half to three years because of the lights. Nothing was done. The inspector came up and found the asbestos. So they came in, they abated the asbestos, we got to go back upstairs — but they never fixed the lights.”

MJ Construction Inc. has been awarded the contract to repair the roof and also replace the roof ventilators and 48 of the lighting units.