Mayor Wright right for revamp

It tells you something — about the project’s age, primarily — that the state’s second-largest public housing development was named after George F. Wright. He was mayor of Honolulu from 1931 until 1938, when he died aboard the Matson Lines ship, the SS Mariposa. The city honored him not that long afterward by constructing Mayor Wright Homes in 1953.

Keeping this 61-year-old complex in even safe and sanitary condition, the minimum standards under the federal programs that support it, has been challenging. Now the state has the opportunity to do a wholesale redevelopment, and officials are right to seize it.

On Friday, Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, announced that the state is seeking a master developer for the rebuilding of the entire 20-acre property. The commitment deserves applause, with the recognition that this is only the first step in a long process aimed at careful financing and planning of the new housing complex, which is in a prime urban spot. And oversight by the public, through the government agencies and advocacy groups that represents the interests of the community, will be crucial at every stage.

There are 364 units at Mayor Wright, which underwent upgrades in 1984 that included installation of solar panels. Problems with that installation, however, became the root of plumbing woes, most notably intermittent failures in piping hot water to numerous units. Residents either managed with cold water or had to boil water for bathing and other needs.

The issue became the basis of a class-action federal lawsuit that Lawyers for Equal Justice filed against the housing authority in 2011, on behalf of Mayor Wright residents. Among the U.S. laws cited in the case was the Americans with Disabilities Act, because of shortcomings with access to units and general mobility on the property, as well as the lack of reliable hot water and a host of other complaints.

Some of the problems have been addressed since then. The Abercrombie administration and area lawmakers pushed through funding to fix the deteriorating water-heating system and security improvements were made. Repair backlogs have been reduced.

But the plain fact is that short-term repairs can only do so much for a property this old and degraded. The advance of the rail transit project, additionally, means that the time is right to capitalize on the transit-oriented development opportunities to be provided along the route.

Mayor Wright falls near the Iwilei station, between the Kapalama and Chinatown stops, so including it in the redevelopment expected in that area simply makes sense.

The zone would become a mixed-use, mixed-income community, which means some of the property would be given over to commercial uses for purposes other than government-subsidized housing. Studies of such public-private partnerships have generally shown that greater economic diversity reduces crime and produces a healthier community overall.

This must be done, as the state now has promised, without displacing any of the qualified current residents, at least not permanently. It should be possible, largely because units in existing low-rise buildings can be accommodated in higher buildings. Officials have said that during construction tenants will be relocated, a process that should be kept minimally disruptive by careful phasing.

Planning should also draw from community wisdom as well to create a new neighborhood that retains a sense of place; some forums that explore design ideas should be part of the planning sequence. High-rise development will be inevitable, but ample provision for green spaces and play areas must be made.

The public will need to keep tabs on this redevelopment as it proceeds to ensure that the sum effect of some privatization is not excessive giveaways to developers. The rebirth of Mayor Wright Homes must be planned so that it’s cause for celebration by the whole community.