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Following nearly a year of costly cleanups, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa says it has finally conquered the mold problem in its Kalia Tower.
The 453-room tower, which has been closed since July 2002, is targeting Sept. 1 as its opening date, Hilton Hawaiian Village spokesman George Hayward said.
"We're very much looking forward to reopening the tower, new and improved," he said.
Total estimated costs for cleaning up the mold problem, according to Hayward, came to $55 million. That amount includes lost earnings, an upgraded air-conditioning system and consultations with mainland mold remediation experts. Helicopters had to deliver the air-conditioning equipment.
The mold experts, hired from Air Quality Sciences in Atlanta, recommended that Hilton discard all the furniture in the rooms because growth could return to porous surfaces even after being cleaned.
"Even if we cleaned it, we were told by the mold experts that [the mold] could grow again," Hayward said, "It was just a function of safety and prudence."
Hilton hired Dick Pacific Construction last September to haul the beds, armoires, desks and nightstands in affected rooms to the landfill. Rooms were stripped of their drapes and wallpaper to avoid further contamination.
The cleaned rooms...