HONOLULU, Hawaii (March 19, 2019) -- Honolulu District

HONOLULU, Hawaii (March 19, 2019) -- Honolulu District Commander Lt. Col. Kathryn Sanborn makes the opening remarks for a community town hall at Maona Valley District Park. The townhall was held in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Design and Construction to provide an update about the proposed Ala Wai Flood Risk Management project to watershed residents and local lawmakers. The townhall, attended by nearly 600 residents, featured presentations about the need for resiliency on the island of Oahu in the face of climate change, emergency preparedness, and the current status for the proposed $345 million project. The Ala Wai Flood Risk Management Project completed the Feasibility Stage in December 2017 when the Chief of Engineers (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) submitted the Chief's Report to Congress. The Record of Decision for the Environmental Impact Statement was signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in September 2018 and was transmitted to the state of Hawaii for adoption. The project was funded for construction by the Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018 under the Long-term Disaster Recovery Investment Program with an authorized cost of $345,076,000. The program allows for single phase design and construction, as well as a deferred payment option to expedite funding and execution of projects. The team is currently in the early stages of exploration and survey to refine data gathered during the feasibility phase, and to develop the feasibility designs into full designs.