By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[File Video, Video by David Corrigan]

PAHALA, Hawaii: The Hawaii County Council will be voting to accept $17,900,000 in state grants to go towards a new Ka’u High School Gym that will double as a Civil Defense emergency shelter.

The facility will include a specially designed air filtration system to provide relief and shelter to vulnerable residents when emissions from Kilauea volcano reach high levels.

The facility will be located on state-owned land near the front of the school, and will be operated and maintained by the county. The county Department of Public Works is in the process of selecting an architectural firm to design the project.

We spoke to Ka’u Councilwoman Brittany Smart on Saturday about the needed facility that will be in her district.

Smart personally reminded Governor Neil Abercrombie about the need for the funds to be released, shortly after the March 11th tsunami struck the Kona side of the island.

State Representative Bob Herkes was instrumental in getting the project going, although as he said earlier this year… it wasn’t easy convincing some folks that it was a worthy project.