EWA, Hawaii -- Change orders and problems have plagued two city construction projects in Ewa, a new gym and a new fire station, adding to their costs and causing months of delays.

The city made 17 change orders on the two projects, which caused some timetables to be pushed back.

And now the city said 57 Builders, the same construction company that's building both projects, is running into its own delays that will cost the contractor money.

The $8.6 million Ewa Mahiko gym project along Renton Road was originally supposed to be completed in May. But the city made six changes to the project, pushing back completion by five months and increasing its cost by about $300,000, or 3.7 percent.

"We had to make changes to the design and some of the changes were initiated by the operating agency, Parks and Recreation. They made some requests, so we had to add in to accommodate their requests," said Lori Kahikina, director of the city's Design and Construction Department.

Kahikina, who took over as head of the department that oversees city construction projects this fall, said one of the changes involved adding security for the building's restrooms.

"The fencing to prevent people from going in only went up to a certain height, so there was a small window where people could actually climb over and go in. So, parks did ask that we add on extra fencing so that no one can get in," Kahikina said.

The new completion date was supposed to be Dec. 15, but she said contractor 57 Builders has run into further delays, pushing the completion date back to the middle of next month. The city plans to fine the contractor at least $6,000 for those delays, at a rate of $200 a day, if the delay is one month.

"If you don't do a good job, we will hold you accountable, and you need to fix it at your cost, and that's exactly what this contractor is doing," she said.

Kahikina said the contractor used improper fill materials at both the gym site and at another project, the new Ewa Beach fire station, and was ordered to remove the fill and replace it.

She said 57 Builders fixed several problems at both sites and did so on their own dime.

KITV 4 News reached Jonathan Lin, a representative of 57 Builders, by phone Thursday, but he would not commit to an on-the-record interview to answer a reporter's questions. Lin said some of Kahikina's statements were "false," but he refused to go into detail. The Ewa gym project ran behind schedule because the site just got its electricity last Friday, he said.

The city said completion of the $4.7 million fire station is set for March 1, delayed a month and a half because of nine changes to the project ordered by the city. Those change orders added about 3.4 percent to the station's cost, Kahikina said.

Sources said the fire department has expressed concern about the quality of workmanship at the fire station and the speed with which the construction is progressing.

Fire officials' main concerns are that the value of the project is what the taxpayers and firefighters deserve, said a source familiar with the project.

57 Builders was the low bidder in both projects, which one building industry representative says isn't always the best.

"It really oftentimes results in very inferior quality work and taxpayers deserve the best quality work for the money they're paying on these projects," said John White, executive director of the Pacific Resource Partnership, a building industry advocacy group funded by the Carpenters’ Union.

City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard, who chairs the council safety committee, said, "I think the problem that we see in both of these projects speaks to a bigger concern that we have and that is making sure that our taxpayer dollars are not being wasted."

KITV 4 News spoke to an employee at the fire station construction site Thursday, but he backed away, said, "No, no, no," and then said he didn't speak English.

He later told a KITV reporter to stop taking video of the site, which was on public property. KITV's crew members continued taking pictures, since they were standing on a city sidewalk.

People familiar with these and other projects on which 57 Builders has worked on told KITV 4 News many of the company's construction workers are from China and do not speak English well, sometimes leading to confusion when they're going over plans, specifications and instructions at job sites.