Question: Whatever happened to plans to renovate the old Fisherman’s Wharf
in Kakaako?

Answer: Ownership of Fisherman’s Wharf, along with nine other parcels of land in the Kakaako district, was transferred to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from the state last year as part of the $200 million ceded lands settlement signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and OHA has yet to devise a plan for the land.

“We’re still working on a plan to deal with all of the properties,” said Garett Kamemoto, communications manager for OHA.

Fisherman’s Wharf has been vacant since the restaurant closed in November 2009.

In March 2010, the Hawaii Community Development Authority awarded a contract to Advanced Restaurant Management, owned by Bob Lee, who owns Pizza Bob’s in Haleiwa, to renovate and manage the building. Advanced Restaurant surrendered its lease in October 2010 at the end of a six-month, rent-free period because necessary health and safety upgrades proved too expensive, HCDA Executive Director Anthony Ching told the Star-Advertiser in December 2010.

Bob Miller, director of operations for Advanced Restaurant Management, said in 2010 that the company was working on a way to restructure the deal and hoped to get the state, as landlord, to cover the cost of some of the improvements.

A deal was never reached, and the space has continued to deteriorate, Kamemoto said.

OHA is looking at the parcels as a whole and not focusing on Fisherman’s Wharf specifically, he said.

“It makes sense for us to kind of figure out how they all work together,” he said.

OHA recently received $400,000 in Brownfields Assessment Grants — $200,000 to assess the land for hazardous substances and $200,000 to look for petroleum contamination — from the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a second phase of environmental evaluations of six parcels in what’s called Kakaako Makai, including the Fisherman’s Wharf land.

According to an EPA news release last month, Brownfields grants target under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods — places where environmental cleanup and new jobs are most needed.

“The Brownfields (grant) is kind of essential to figure out what’s going to happen down there,” Kamemoto said.

OHA obtained the land as part of the ceded lands settlement agreed upon by the state and OHA last year.

The compromise involved a transfer of roughly 25 acres of land valued at about $200 million, rather than cash, and concluded a more than 30-year-old discussion of OHA’s claims to past-due ceded lands payments. By law, OHA should receive a share of the revenue generated on lands formerly held by the Hawaiian monarchy.

Although OHA holds development rights, the land is still subject to zoning and permitting conditions of the HCDA.

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This update was written by Sarah Zoellick. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.