The Queen Theater, once an iconic, 1930s-era landmark in the heart of Kaimuki that over the decades would attract illicit and illegal activities, public complaints and vagrants, is now on track to be a city-owned property.

The City Council voted Wednesday to request the city administration condemn the 850-seat theater at 3588 Waialae Ave. in order to convert the blighted property into a new, community-based entertainment venue.

Introduced by Chair Tommy Waters, Resolution 176 would have the city seize the theater, shuttered since 1985, along with the rest of the approximately 10,396-square-foot commercial parcel, outright.

The property is valued at $3.173 million, according to the city’s Real Property Assessment Division.

“Due to the property’s location on Waialae Avenue, which is the main thoroughfare of Kaimuki’s business district, the area surrounding the property experiences substantial foot and vehicular traffic, and is heavily used by Kaimuki residents, other City and County of Hono­lulu residents, and visitors to Oahu,” the resolution states.

But since the 1980s “the property has largely been vacant, unused, and not properly maintained, resulting in structural deterioration and potentially hazardous conditions for pedestrians walking near the property,” the resolution states.

The resolution asserts Queen Theater owners Narciso Yu Jr. and Adoree Yu “rejected numerous offers to purchase the property and (appear) to be generally reluctant to sell.”

Before the Council’s vote, owner Adoree Yu updated the panel on multiphased upgrades to her family’s property.

“I have made substantial progress in Phase 1 of my three-phase revitalization plan in the last month,” Yu, a lawyer, said. “Painting is nearly complete. We are taking safety and security measures to deter nuisance and trespassing.”

A permit application to refurbish the theater’s sign and marquee has been submitted to the city Department of Planning and Permitting, she added.

“These are meaningful and tangible steps I’ve taken, and consistent with my commitment to revitalize the property,” Yu said. “And I intend to move forward with this plan.”

She noted her plan included “restoring the theater to leasable condition so that the property is ready for potential tenants to move in and use.”

“Improvements to the auditorium will include all necessary infrastructure for a new tenant to come in, design and build out the space for their intended use,” Yu said. “My budget does not include restoring the auditorium to any specific use. I am open to any potential uses that bring the property back to a sustainable use that fits community needs.”

She previously indicated the cost to renovate Queen Theater totals approximately $800,000 and said partial funding likely would be sought through yet-to-be secured bank financing.

Two phases were to be completed by or before the end of 2025, while the third phase would be finished by December 2026, she added.

To that end, Yu requested the Council defer the resolution to allow her to complete needed repairs to the Queen Theater.

She said, “Having this resolution looming over the property may have a significant negative though unintended impact on its marketability and my ability to find long-term lessees.”

“This resolution could in fact hamper the Council and the community’s angle for the property as I move forward with my plan,” she added.

However, Waters remained skeptical of Yu’s plans.

And he questioned Yu’s repairs to the old movie house’s roof as well as electrical and plumbing work.

Yu said less than $2,500 in repairs to the theater’s electrical wiring were done in the past three years. “We did a little more this year,” she added.

Waters also expected the theater to have an updated fire suppression system as well as new lighting and air conditioning.

As far as air conditioning was concerned, Yu replied, “The HVAC system would be on the tenant.”

“So, in fact, isn’t it your idea, and what we have talked about over the last three years, is that you want to hand over the improvements to the tenant, to do most of these improvements?” Waters asked. “That’s been the plan so far, right?”

Yu said her goal was to find a long-term ground lessee. “So a potential tenant can come in and customize based on their specific need,” she added.

Others also spoke at the meeting.

Phillips Payson, executive director of Hilo’s Palace Theater, said he was in support of the Council’s resolution.

“I would love to see the theater back open to community usage,” he said. “We are in a state, nationwide, where theaters are not opening up, we are losing them, they are closing their doors.”

“It is absolutely crucial to be maintaining these cultural spaces to provide gathering, educational and entertainment programming for everyone,” he said.

Payson testified that due to his direct experience with capital improvement projects, Queen Theater “will require to not only be safe, but to entertain an audience to sustain operations over a long period of time.”

He noted Hilo’s historic theater, built in 1925, was closed “for a period of two decades” prior to being taken over by the nonprofit group Friends of the Palace Theater.

“We reopened in 1998 after a series of false starts, due to illegal operations needing electrical improvements, repairs to our roof, we needed to build an entirely new roof on top of our theater to prevent leaks,” he said. “We were the first theater in the state of Hawaii to install solar panels to offset our electrical consumption.”

“Something that enabled these projects to happen was our status as a 501(c)(3) organization,” Payson said. “I do not see a realistic path forward with private ownership to accomplish the projects that will need to happen for this theater to be safe.”

Since 2000, he said, his group has put in “$1.5 million into capital improvement projects” to improve the theater, including a facade restoration, fire sprinkler maintenance and signage repair.

He added this work occurred with grant funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we were not a nonprofit organization, we would not have been able to do that, and we probably would not have reopened post-COVID,” Payson said.

But Lori Yamada, with the nonprofit group EnVision Kaimuki, said she wanted the Council to defer Resolution 176.

“As we’ve seen from testimony from Adoree and (Payson), there’s some promise in having this theater rehabilitated in other ways than having the city and county taking it over with eminent domain and all that jazz,” said Yamada, adding that action will cost taxpayers money. “And the city and county does have other ways to spend that money, such as infrastructure and sewers and a new place for the landfill.”

Choon James, a Laie resident, also opposed condemning Queen Theater.

“It’s very important that we respect private property rights,” she said. “We have no right, really, to tell a property owner what she or he cannot do, unless there are compelling reasons.”

Alluding to Payson’s testimony and his nonprofit, James said, “We should never be in the position where we covet another person’s property and publicly say that we can do a better job than that private property owners.”

After the meeting, Waters told the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser that the passage of Resolution 176 “allows the city administration to begin the process of condemnation.”

“As part of the process, the Council will receive the administration’s plans within approximately 45 days, including timelines and possible future use,” Waters said in a statement. “Although the city administration will manage the property, it is too early to speculate on its exact use.”

“This is a significant opportunity to restore Queen Theater into the safe and meaningful gathering place that the entire community wants and deserves,” he added.