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JAMM AQUINO/ JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kakaako Gateway Parks, which have seen a resurgence in daytime homeless activity, will close from Sunday until Jan. 8 for maintenance, the Hawaii Community Development Authority announced today.
The two Kakaako Gateway Parks, which have seen a resurgence in daytime homeless activity, will close from Sunday until Jan. 8 for maintenance, the Hawaii Community Development Authority announced today.
The much larger Kakaako Waterfront Park, which runs along the Kakaako shoreline and has been closed since October for maintenance, also will reopen on Jan. 8, the HCDA said.
In a statement, interim HCDA executive director Garett Kamemoto said:
“This is an opportune time for us to conduct maintenance because no major events have requested permits for those two parks, so we can do the work that needs to be done with minimal disruption to the park-going public.”
HCDA said that a private security company has been able to keep homeless people out of the Gateway parks at night, but they have moved to nearby sidewalks.
State and city crews will enforce park closure hours starting Sunday “and will continue enforcement on an ongoing basis as needed,” the HCDA said.
“We thank all the state and city departments and agencies for helping to keep the parks clear,” Kamemoto said in a statement. “We are grateful that they have been willing to help us come up with creative solutions that help us restore the safety and accessibility to these family-friendly public parks.”
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