KAHALUU, Hawaii -- After years of delays and $5 million in taxpayer's money, Kahaluu's regional park opened.

It took what seemed like seconds to untie the maile, but the playing field has been decades in the making.

Windward Oahu resident John Reppun remembered the park was to have been part of a flood control project that began in the 70s.

"We witnessed pushing off a shopping center and a sewage treatment plant and now we can see this is the highest and best use," Reppun said.

Actual construction on the regional park started in 2002. It looked good to go in 2004 but the brand new facility with its playing field sat unused for another four years because of a dispute with the contractor and the use of improper fill.

"But those drainage problems and those things that compounded had been basically very difficult to overcome," Reppun said.

While the park sat, trees and shrubs died and the field's dugouts rusted. But with the drainage problems resolved the city's parks department can finally take over maintenance.

Mayor Mufi Hanneman said he understands the community's frustration over having to wait for so long and he wishes the fix for a problem his administration inherited hadn't been so complicated.

"We are not going to be so quick to open up a park just for the sake of opening it up. We are going cross the Ts and dot the Is. I don't think you are going to see this happen with other projects under my administration," Hanneman said.

Although they can't make up for lost time, young children who wanted a place to play now have it. Reppun can finally enjoy the field with his 9-year-old grandson.

"It's really exciting because I finally have a place to fly my kites," La'a Chartrand said.

There are still some issues with the grass and the landscaping as native Hawaiian plants will have to be reworked. But the community is glad this day has finally come.