City plans overhaul of 9 public restrooms in Waikiki

The city will spend nearly $1 million to renovate nine Waikiki public restrooms that residents, business owners and tourists have described as gross and, at times, unusable.

Officials unveiled plans Wednesday before the Waikiki Business Improvement District Association to improve the restrooms along Kuhio Beach and in Kapiolani Park, starting in the next two months. The project, which could top $900,000, should be done by year’s end, said city spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy.

Department of Parks and Recreation Director Gary Cabato said that the city has awarded a contract to a Kaneohe company, I2 Construction, to complete work on nine city comfort stations at Kuhio Beach, Ohua, Queen’s Surf, Kapiolani Beach Center, Kapiolani Tennis Court, Kapiolani Bandstand, Kapiolani Old Driving Range, Hale Lua and Waikiki Playground.

"Mayor Peter Carlisle believes this area serves as an economic engine for the city," Cabato said. "We should invest in the renovation where comfort station use is high and because of its premier location."

The contractor will repaint bathroom exteriors and interiors and replace ceramic tiles, porcelain fixtures, lights, toilet doors and stalls, restroom walls and floors, McCoy said. City equipment and maintenance rooms also will be improved, she said.

"It’s a total overhaul," she said.

While providing clean, safe public restrooms is essential for maintaining Waikiki’s status as a world-class destination, government and business officials have struggled in the face of rising crime and homelessness to ensure that they are adequate.

The Star-Advertiser drew attention to the problem of poorly maintained city and state public restrooms in Waikiki in a Feb. 28 story. Residents and business officials complained about the harm that poor quality public bathrooms in Waikiki inflict on them and on tourism.

News of the renovation was warmly received in Waikiki.

"This is great," said Waikiki Neighborhood Board Chairman Robert Finley. "We have the golden egg with tourism. We don’t want our visitors wailing and saying that Waikiki is a terrible, smelly place."

Businesses also are delighted that the city has earmarked funds for the overhaul, said Paul Kosasa, chairman of the Waikiki Business Improvement District Association and president and chief executive of ABC Stores, which has 37 outlets in Waikiki and 78 around the world.

"(The ABC Stores) get complaints from our visitors about no toilet paper, broken fixtures and the general ickiness of the bathrooms. They don’t leave a good impression of our visitor destination and we are all very sensitive to that," Kosasa said. "This project has overwhelming support."

City Councilman Stanley Chang, who represents Waikiki, said public and private sectors also are working on a plan to maintain Waikiki’s facilities.

"The bathrooms are cleaned every hour and in order," he said. "But by the time they get back to the first one, it’s already dirty again. They’ve talked about having attendants. If the city needs additional resources, I would support it."

Waikiki activist Ann Robinson, who lives in the Ilikai, praised the plans and gave a nod to the Star-Advertiser and local stakeholders like the Waikiki Improvement Association for bringing the topic to the forefront.

"This is what we need, more transparency rather than letting problems build to the point that people don’t want to come here," Robinson said. "Better bathrooms in Waikiki will be great for residents and more in keeping with Waikiki Beach’s image of a world-class destination."

However, improvements are still needed at the state public restrooms at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, she said.

"I’m proud of the city, but it’s a huge disappointment that the (state Department of Land and Natural Resources) doesn’t take their obligation to provide safe, clean bathrooms as seriously," Robinson said.

Larry Sanders, who has lived at the harbor for 30 years, said conditions at the bathrooms, which are open to the public only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, are dismal.

"I have been stopped by tourists walking through the harbor that had to use a restroom and couldn’t wait," Sanders said. "I have been as much as the fifth tenant in line waiting to use the one toilet in the shower room."

A missing stall door at one of the bathrooms means that when people open the outer door they and anyone on the street are looking directly at the person on the toilet, who frequently has no toilet paper, he said.

"It is rather embarrassing. It has been brought to the DLNR’s attention many times but nothing has been done," Sanders said.

A DLNR official had no immediate comment late Wednesday.