The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center will celebrate the grand opening of its new facility in Kakaʻako on Saturday, February 23, 2013.
The celebration marks the culmination of a project that broke ground in October 2010 and was completed $16 million under budget and three months ahead of schedule.
“There are so many people who worked together to make this building a reality,” said University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple. “The opening of this new building serves as a testament to the university’s commitment to combating and hopefully finding a cure for this devastating disease.”
Blessing and family-friendly science fair mark opening
The festivities will start with a blessing ceremony at 10 a.m. Keynote speakers include Nobel Laureate and University of California, San Francisco Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, American Association for Cancer Research Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti and American Cancer Society Immediate Past President W. Phil Evans.
UH Cancer Center Director Michele Carbone will provide welcoming remarks, followed by dedication speeches by UH President M.R.C Greenwood and UH Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple.
From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the center will host a family-friendly science fair that is open to the public. The fair will provide hands-on lessons about some of the research, diagnostic tools, preventative measures and clinical trials being performed by the center’s faculty and staff.
In addition, there will be displays by the American Cancer Society, free skin cancer screenings by the Hawaiʻi Skin Cancer Coalition, hula demonstrations, Zumba and more.
Free parking is available on a limited basis at Kakaʻako Waterfront Park. All-day paid parking is available in the public lot adjacent to the Children’s Discovery Center for $3.
World-class facility for cancer studies and clinical research
The six-story, 150,000-square-foot building consolidates all of the UH Cancer Center’s programs under one roof and provides facilities for cancer biology, prevention and control, and epidemiology studies, as well as clinical and translational research.
Sustainability is a hallmark of the building, and the new facility has earned a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. Features include high-efficiency fixtures and occupant sensors to reduce electricity usage and potable water demand, and vegetated roof surfaces that help reduce the costs associated with air conditioning, reduce the heat island effect, retain storm water, provide insulating benefits, as well as extend the lifespan of the roof. Ten percent of all building materials are of recycled content and 10 percent of all building materials were extracted, harvested or recovered and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.
