An abject lesson on how not to proceed revealed itself recently to the Hawaii Community Development Authority — a crucial reminder to the state agency of its duty to fend off any proposal that seeks to wall off Honolulu’s open waterfront with oversized development.
Renderings for a four-building, two-story futuristic complex were printed in the April-May edition of a Japanese magazine, which called the project "a new Honolulu landmark."
Fortunately, that pronouncement was premature: The project is now being dramatically revamped, partly due to feedback.
It is wholly in the public’s interest that sharp eyes remain on subsequent proposals for this site — 2.1 acres of HCDA public property between Ala Moana Beach Park and Kewalo Basin small boat harbor.
The state’s Kakaako redevelopment agency is in an exclusive negotiations period, through February, with Shindai Co. Ltd. and its local partner, Kewalo Waterfront Partners Inc., over lease and development terms for this parcel. Any tentative deal would trigger additional steps, including two public hearings, an environmental assessment and community consultations.
No doubt for HCDA, there’s a struggle for balance between the instinct to maximize revenues and the one to retain needed open space.
"At a cost of $190 per square foot, land in Kakaako holds high value, and we must ensure it is used wisely," the HCDA reasoned in a May 2014 document. "The HCDA does not own much land in the district, aside from our current parks, thus it is difficult to create new park space. However, we are expanding where we can (Kewalo Basin Harbor) and are looking to improve the quality of experience in our existing parks, to ensure they become quality urban places that have meaning to the community."
Surely, though, the now-quashed renderings didn’t come even close to embodying that vision. Where a tree-lined 70-stall parking lot now sits, the Japanese developer had conceptualized a barrier-like complex blocking Kewalo sightlines from Ala Moana Beach Park as well from Ala Moana Boulevard. Its proposal had included small restaurants, a wedding chapel, a shopping arcade and a 250-stall parking garage.
Its over-scale recalls the "sore thumb" aspect of the two-story, restaurant-wedding chapel that currently sits across Kewalo Basin at the former John Dominis restaurant site. The sudden emergence of that Mediterranean-style complex two years ago remains an alarming reminder of what can quickly sprout absent needed public attention.
In its public policy vision approved in April, the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Honolulu said this about urban design and planning at Kakaako:
"(AIA-Honolulu) supports the development of Kakaako Makai as Honolulu’s ‘gathering place,’ including parks, public cultural, educational and entertainment facilities, ocean-related retail use at Kewalo Basin and waterfront open space consistent with a ‘lei of green’ concept from Diamond Head to Aloha Tower."
Protecting a public "lei of green" near the water’s edge has been a strong, underpinning concept for Kakaako throughout the decades. That value remains paramount today, especially with the population boom envisioned for Kakaako from at least two dozen proposed residential mixed-use towers. A well-planned city uses green spaces wisely to improve the mental and physical health of urban communities, well into the future.
Based on what was initially proposed, it was imperative that this Kewalo project went back to the drawing board.
When — if — HCDA agrees to lease this precious sliver of land near water’s edge, serious consideration must be given to sense of scale, sense of place, sightlines and accessibility to the public shoreline.
