Give new life to crumbling Natatorium

A city task force concluded three years ago that the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium’s dilapidated swimming pool and bleachers should be demolished because they would be too expensive to renovate. Gov. Neil Abercrombie now appears to want the state to regain control and possibly turn it into a beach volleyball stadium. Such an alternative is worth pursuing in order to find a better public use of this crumbling site and see if it pencils out.

Built in 1927 to honor the 101 Hawaii residents who died in World War I, the Natatorium was put off-limits to the public in 1979 and deemed a health and safety hazard a year later. Three years ago, then-Mayor Mufi Hannemann accepted the task force’s recommendation to demolish the pool and bleachers, move the reconstructed arches inland and restore the beach.

The entire process of going forward with that plan was estimated at eight years or so, Hannemann said at the time, and seemed reasonable, given the exorbitant cost and health permit problems presented by full restoration of the pool and memorial. This new alternative expressed by Abercrombie is certainly worth consideration before going forward with demolition.

The Natatorium has been owned by the state and operated by the city under an executive order, so the move is certainly within scope. Lori Kahikina, the city’s design and construction director, reports that Abercrombie and Mayor Peter Carlisle have agreed on the rescinding of the executive order.

A pledge was made when the Natatorium was built to remember and honor the veterans of the war, and that obligation should not be blithely set aside. The Oahu Veterans Council, comprising 35 veterans organizations with 85,000 members, has understandably complained that tearing it down would be a slap in the face of the military.

However, the state Health Department determined that it would not be feasible to assure health conditions in the saltwater pool. Essentially, that full restoration alternative is not realistic, as the city’s studies estimated it could cost up to $60 million.

The Kaimana Beach Coalition, which was formed in favor of demolishing the Natatorium, has insisted that the task force’s recommendation be heeded, allowing it to be turned into a public beach park. However, Abercrombie has been a strong supporter of the memorial.

At this exploratory stage, the beach volleyball arena is an intriguing alternative, as competition in this year’s Summer Olympics in London gained enthusiastic attention. The popularity of volleyball generally in Hawaii is greater than in other parts of the country. Most games in Hawaii now are played at Ala Moana Beach Park, according to hawaii-beachvolleyball.com.

The next step toward turning the Natatorium into a beach volleyball arena will be determining the cost. The bleachers are likely to be refurbished if not entirely replaced, and creating a beach area in place of the swimming pool will cost and entail more than merely dumping sand. Don’t relocate the arches just yet.