I worked next door to the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial for 27 years while I was employed at the Waikiki Aquarium, and I recall endless hours, days, and years of arguments on what to do with the Natatorium.

I moved to the mainland in 2002 and recently relocated back to Hawaii. I am not surprised that the fate of the Natatorium is still being argued.

All of the options below are possible and depend only on how much money is available for construction and for perpetual maintenance.

» Tear down the walls and restore the beach.

This is possible, but first the muck inside the pool has to be removed to minimize environmental disaster when the walls come down. Dredging and removing the muck is possible but probably prohibitively expensive, and the logistics are mind-boggling. I’ve been inside the pool and I have seen what’s down there. No one should minimize this issue.

» Rebuild the walls, improve the flushing and restore the pool.

This, too, is possible but the pool will remain a sink for wind-blown debris and ocean-borne silt. Algae will also be a problem. In other words, perpetual maintenance will be extremely difficult and expensive. I’ve maintained large outdoor pools and giant aquarium exhibits, so I can speak with authority on this option. No one should minimize how difficult it will be to clean an ocean-flushing pool.

» Fill in the pool and create a grassy park or volleyball court.

This may be the least expensive option with the least environmental impact, but if the pool is the actual memorial, then those who want to maintain the original purpose of the Natatorium will reject this option and it goes against previous Supreme Court rulings for the use of this area.

» Restore the pool as a swim-through aquarium/pool.

This is possible but probably not feasible. Construction and maintenance would be costly (I estimate $80 million construction based on similar-sized aquarium exhibits elsewhere). I also know that there would be considerable public resistance to this option. For starters, where would visitors park their cars?

Here’s a brand new idea: If the pool is the memorial but a saltwater pool is not operationally feasible, and if filling in the existing pool is the least expensive option, then fill in the saltwater pool and construct a smaller, conventional freshwater swimming pool inside. Managing a municipal freshwater swimming pool may be the least expensive pool option and the costs can easily be calculated for construction and maintenance.

A freshwater swimming pool might be a nice amenity for Kapiolani Park.

Would a new freshwater swimming pool be in conflict with the 1973 Supreme Court’s ruling that this area can only be used for a "Natatorium"? The lawyers can argue definitions.

Bruce Carlson, Ph.D., now retired in Ewa Beach, was director of the Waikiki Aquarium from 1986 to 2002 and of the Georgia Aquarium from 2002 to 2011.