Walmart’s closure in downtown Honolulu greatly affects the immediate economic health of the Downtown-Chinatown neighborhood. In the short term, it is very bad news; but it also is an opportunity for forward-thinking community officials to really reimagine this spot with a sense of pride, distinctiveness and enthusiasm.

As a member of the Downtown- Chinatown Neighborhood Board, I’ve participated in several helpful discussions already about our collective future together. Short of another major retailer moving in there, or a plan to bulldoze the site and create affordable housing, the other options are complex, illuminating and yes, exciting.

Of course, the building looks like a future Office of Hawaiian Affairs casino, having no windows and built-in parking, but short of that happening, the one thing it probably cannot become is affordable housing. The retrofitting costs by a private entity would be nearly cost-prohibitive to all but the wealthiest tenants. A similar project now underway nearby in downtown indicates a public, low-income or affordable housing initiative there would be just too expensive.

That being noted, the best answers for the future of the Walmart site revolve around three basic ideas, in my opinion:

>> First, a combination community and physical education center for both the neighborhood and Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) would be an administrative and funding challenge, but certainly not insurmountable. Under its current leadership, HPU has shown great involvement and unique problem-solving skills in its embrace of our residents, as well as its use of the buildings along Fort Street and Aloha Tower.

HPU needs a physical education center housing a basketball court and running track, a bowling alley, perhaps a target range, and maybe even an indoor ice skating rink — big things that take up 80,000 square feet. Since we don’t have a community center, perhaps the community could use these facilities too, making use of meeting rooms, art and cultural offerings, and even child care. If done correctly, this new shared facility could really be a center point for the community and keep families, residents, students and children safe in a way no other indoor space in the area affords.

>> Second, a wide-ranging museum complex could be divided in four parts, to include the current Chinatown Museum and long-shuttered Maritime Museum. It also could be the permanent home of the much-talked-about Hawaiian Culture and Music Museum (planned for the now-deteriorating Convention Center) as well as a Surfing Hall of Fame or some other unique and untapped information destination. Along with tourist services and perhaps a food court, this new complex would serve as a true hub for enlightenment and pride for both residents and tourists for decades to come.

>> Finally, there is a new state-of-the-art experience (in Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas and Santa Fe) called “Omega Mart” by Meow Wolf. It’s a very weird, avant-garde, large scale art, exploration and imagination installation that breaks rules about space, time and conventional thinking. Each visit is different, geared to families, and can take anywhere between two and eight hours to see. There’s no reason our Walmart wouldn’t be perfect, especially now that Cirque du Soleil is coming to town.

So let’s get to work and get this space moving forward. While the next few months will be tough as things deteriorate around Walmart, the Downtown-Chinatown neighborhood has proven before and will show itself again to be resilient, vital and united. I am counting on our elected leaders to meet the moment!

Robert Armstrong is a member of the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board; the views expressed are his own, and do not suggest a policy or consensus of the board.