In today’s column, we invite you to listen in on our conversation as we take a walk down Nuuanu Avenue in Chinatown. The discussion covers how Chinatown was saved and the latest progress in its preservation. Fox was involved in defining and preserving Chinatown as we know it today. Cheever studied the area extensively and wrote a book with Nancy Bannick on how Chinatown was preserved.

Cheever: To begin this walking tour, Bob, why don’t we start at the restored Hawaii Theatre at the corner of Bethel and Pauahi? I understand one of the purposes in spending $31 million to restore the theater was to spark the development of an arts district in Chinatown.

Fox: Yes, Dave. The theater is magnificent and they certainly achieved their objective. Look at the galleries, shops and restaurants in the Marks Garage alone, much less in the surrounding area.

Before urban renewal in the 1960s, Chinatown was a much larger area and reached all the way to Vineyard and Aala Park. Much of that area was destroyed. We helped define the current boundaries in order to put the whole area on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cheever: Bob, what a gift that was for the community. I understand you also were involved in preparing design guidelines for preservation of other buildings in Chinatown.

Fox: Correct. I think that has worked reasonably well. Before we start our stroll down Nuuanu Avenue, I’d like to divert back half a block to 1164. Back in 1982, when Chinatown was still pretty wild, Pegge Hopper had the foresight to buy old buildings, preserve them and turned them into her art gallery. Did she do the right thing?

Cheever: Absolutely. I give you both credit for taking the risk of buying real estate in an area most people avoided in those days. On the left, am I right in saying you bought the historic McLean block in 1978?

Fox: Yes, and I had my architectural office there for 15 years, during which I saw all kinds of interesting activities. As we head down Nuuanu, let me point out that under urban renewal the Ewa side of Nuuanu was to be demolished to widen it. Not only that, King Street was to be widened, too, which meant many historic buildings along that street would have been destroyed.

Cheever: Bob, now that we’re at Hotel Street, let’s divert half a block going Ewa.

I want to show you that Chinatown preservation is still going on. Look at that sign on the left.

Fox: Wow, the famed Club Hubba Hubba building has been restored, including the sign, “Live Nude Shows.” And across the street I see that 32 N. Hotel has been restored, too. That used to be the Risqué Theater. Thanks for pointing those out, Dave. This is so encouraging to see these historic Chinatown buildings still being brought back to life.

Dave, you know the 900 block of Nuuanu has three wonderful historic buildings. The Wing Wo Tai building at 923 is one of my favorites. Across the street is the Nippu Jiji building. A great example of Richardson Romanesque-style cut stone. And Murphy’s. It was originally the Royal Saloon when it was built in 1880. What would Honolulu be like without Murphy’s?

Cheever: Bob, I guess now we have to turn left on Merchant. And here is one of my favorites. The Yokohama Specie Bank. Besides the architecture, there are interesting tales of prisoners being held in the basement after Pearl Harbor.

Fox: We can end this tour, Dave, at the Grand Old Police Station on the corner of Bethel and Merchant. It has it all — grand entrance, curving outside stairway, red tile roof and a magnificent interior. I consider it the harbor anchor of Chinatown. It must be preserved with an appropriate adaptive reuse.