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A downtown Honolulu office tower remained without power Saturday after an air conditioning system leak damaged critical electrical equipment, leaving nearly 100 tenants displaced for a third day
The outage at Topa Financial Center began Thursday morning when a chiller leak in the building’s basement allowed water to reach electrical equipment, including the building’s switchgear, which distributes power throughout the property
Building management said the damaged switchgear is one of the biggest obstacles to restoring service because replacement equipment is not readily available in Hawaii
“We’re working on a very large generator. We’re working on fixing the switchgear. We’re working on having [Hawaiian Electric] bypass that first switchgear to the second tower,” said Christine Camp of Avalon Group
Camp said water has been removed from the basement, and engineers are now focused on restoring power safely. She credited HECO for working with the building throughout the outage
Nearly 100 tenants have been affected by the outage. To help minimize disruptions, Avalon Group is offering temporary office space at Davies Pacific Center, another downtown property currently undergoing redevelopment into a mixed-use residential, retail and commercial project
Because more than 70% of the building is vacant, Camp said construction plans are being delayed so tenants can use the available space as temporary co-working hubs
The outage has affected businesses ranging from law firms to major utility companies that operate inside the Class A office tower
Engineers and Hawaiian Electric are evaluating options to safely restore service
Building management said limited power, including elevator access for the Fourth Street Tower, could return as early as late Monday or Tuesday
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