(BIVN) – The Pana‘ewa Equestrian Center Rodeo Arena, just a short distance away from Hilo’s rainforest zoo, will close next week for improvements.

The Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation says the rodeo arena will be closed from September 2 to approximately December 9, 2019, in order to complete restoration work at the facility. In a Thursday media release, the County announced:

Departmental staff will be removing all of the compacted dirt and material from inside the arena, which is not draining properly, and replacing it with drain material and red cinder. The red cinder base is solid, and when it rains, the arena will be able to drain quickly while retaining the surface.

This red cinder base will also assist in the mitigation of dust being released beyond the property lines of the facility. The red cinder method was successfully utilized this year at the Honoka‘a Rodeo Arena, and all feedback from arena users has been positive.

The Department apologizes for any inconvenience this closure may cause, and thanks the public for their patience and understanding during this facility upgrade.