Hawai'i Pacific University, the state's largest private university, announced yesterday a five-year, $70 million plan to expand its windward Hawai'i Loa campus.

The university selected architectural firm Group 70 International Inc. as the lead architect and planning firm for the project, which includes tripling the existing number of on-campus student housing spaces, a new academic center, a performing arts center, recreational facilities and additional parking.

HPU President Chatt G. Wright has long talked about expansion of the school's windward campus and yesterday called the plans "the most ambitious and important project HPU has undertaken in its 43-year history."

Only about 65 acres of the 135-acre windward campus are in use now. The campus currently includes six residence halls and a three-story academic building.

Wright said one of the reasons for the expansion is to increase on-campus student housing. Currently HPU has only a 210-bed dormitory. But plans would expand the inventory of beds to more than 600.

"We critically need more student housing. We need an expansion of our students services and that can only be done on our windward Hawai'i Loa campus," Wright said.

As part of the expansion of those student services, the build- up on the windward campus will include new academic facilities, a student center and an athletic center.

While university officials have long talked about plans to expand the campus, the university had been limited in its ability to expand by the city's sewer system, which was operating at capacity.

Rick Stepien, vice president of administration at HPU, said connecting to the city's sewer system is "absolutely critical" to the campus expansion. That work is expected to be done in March of next year and is expected to cost some $2.5 million.

Actual groundbreaking on the expansion project will not be for another three years, Wright said.

HPU's main campus is housed in several buildings in Downtown Honolulu. The windward campus houses the natural sciences and nursing programs while the university's six other schools and colleges are located downtown.

HPU is the third-largest tenant of the downtown area, after Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank.

FLAGSHIP CAMPUS

Expanding the windward campus will allow the university to possibly move academic programs to Hawai'i Loa.

"We're looking at the campus at Hawai'i Loa as the flagship campus," Stepien said.

But he said that the university will continue to have a strong presence downtown.

"We would never leave downtown. It's been our home since we've started and we have very close ties to the business community," he said.

Wright said Group 70 was selected for the project because of its extensive work with local education institutions, including the University of Hawai'i, community colleges, 'Iolani School, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaii Baptist Academy.