KAILUA-KONA, Hawaiʻi – The County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation today, June 12, 2025, announced the completion of a new on-site parking area at William Charles Lunalilo Playground, widely known as “Blue Park,” in Kona. This enhancement is expected to significantly ease long-standing parking challenges for park users and surrounding residents.
The project, a collaborative effort between West Side Hawaii Little League, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Public Works, adds 22 new parking spaces. These additional stalls are located above the park’s baseball field in an area that was previously overgrown with naupaka bushes and unusable. With these new spaces, the park now boasts 45 off-street parking stalls.
County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda commended the inter-departmental cooperation. “We try to implement these low-cost, high-reward improvements as much as possible,” said Mayor Alameda. “We are fortunate to have such hardworking county employees that collaborate across our departments to provide this level of service to the community.”
Beyond the new parking, the Department of Public Works also undertook extensive weed and vegetation removal on the hillside above the field, which will improve visibility for spectators from adjoining sidewalks and on-street parking spots. Acting Director of Public Works Neil Azevedo noted, “Our crews are proud to work with our Parks and Recreation Department to be able to make these improvements to the park. Our guys even took the opportunity to clean the surrounding areas like the canal.”
Clayton Honma, Director of Parks & Recreation, extended his gratitude, stating, “Mahalo to the West Side Hawaii Little League and our Public Works Department for bringing this project to fruition. This really was a team effort.”
Lunalilo Playground is a seven-acre park situated off Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway in the Pualani Estates Subdivision. It features a youth baseball field, a youth soccer field, restrooms, and a playground. The park is set to host this year’s Little League Majors Division State Tournament from July 16-20.
Looking ahead, the park’s playground is slated for a major overhaul, with the County of Hawaiʻi continuing to plan and develop the project in collaboration with community members and volunteers.