Waikiki is known for its natural beauty, man-made beach, world-renowned hotels, shopping and entertainment.

Much of what we see in Waikiki today was developed between the 1950s and 1970s. To ensure our long-term viability as a premier global destination and as a community, hotel owners must continue to reinvest in Waikiki’s future by, among other things, upgrading accommodations.

In today’s competitive environment, Kyo-ya’s plan to redevelop the existing Diamond Head Tower of the Moana Surfrider is a critical piece of the private sector’s reinvestment in Waikiki. The existing building’s ground-level footprint leaves no room for open pedestrian space or a view of the ocean.

In contrast, the mauka-makai footprint of the proposed new building will create a new view corridor from Kalakaua Avenue to Waikiki Beach — the only location on Kalakaua Avenue that will make ocean vistas visible across private property. In addition, there will be a new 15-foot-wide public access to Waikiki Beach; this will be a major improvement to the pedestrian experience. However, these desirable features will not be an option if Kyo-ya is unable to trade street-level open space for height.

The beach will be even more accessible than it is today, and the new building will not encroach on it. All work on the new building will take place mauka of the existing seawall, and new fill will elevate the site to minimize the impact of occasional wave run-up in this area, storm surges and a possible sea-level rise caused by global warming.

In addition, as part of the project, Kyo-ya is contributing $500,000 to the state government’s beach replenishment effort planned for 2011 and an additional $50,000 to fund ongoing beach maintenance programs in the future.

Finally, this building will not significantly alter Waikiki’s skyline. Surrounding towers are, in fact, taller than the planned building, and the view plane will not significantly change, from the ocean or points outside Waikiki.

For more than 40 years the Waikiki Improvement Association has supported improvements that have enriched Waikiki, for residents and visitors alike.

We have supported flexibility in the planning process and zoning code that allows for the redevelopment of aging properties in conjunction with public concessions from the developer, such as open space.

This process allowed Outrigger and Hilton to make refreshing improvements to their properties, resulting in greater spending and a longer length of stay — fueling the engine of Hawaii’s economy.

We urge the city to show its commitment to this proven process by approving Kyo-ya’s requested height variance. This will allow the hotel to create pedestrian walkways and oceanview corridors, improvements that will reinvigorate this property for the benefit of the community and the economy.

See the Star-Advertiser’s Oct. 8 editorial on this issue.