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ASSOCIATED PRESS
The $3.5 million partial demolition of the Coco Palms resort is part of a $175 million renovation, the Garden Island reported.
WAILUA >> A resort featured in the 1961 Elvis Presley movie “Blue Hawaii” and destroyed in a 1992 hurricane is nearing the end of its demolition phase.
The $3.5 million partial demolition of the Coco Palms resort is part of a $175 million renovation, the Garden Island reported.
“We hope to be done by the end of the year with demo and start construction in January,” said Tyler Greene, co-owner of Coco Palms Hui, LLC.
Greene and his business partner Chad Waters started work on the project in 2012.
The demolition is expected to be done by the end of this year, with construction possibly starting as soon as January
The resort is expected to reopen in 2018 as one of the Hyatt brand’s upscale luxury properties.
Board of Land and Natural Resources members gave approval in October to permit the temporary use of state land on the property while renovations are underway.
Kauai geologist Chuck Blay plans to survey Wailua Beach in anticipation of future use with the reopening of Coco Palms.
The beach “has had a history of going almost completely away over past decades,” he said. “We would like to learn more about how and why it may fluctuate from a beautiful, full, wide beach to almost nothing within months or even weeks.”
Glad to see that the Coco Palms will finally be resurrected. Kauai is the only island other than Niihau that I have not visited so when the resort is up and running, I will definitely
make the effort to book a stay at the Coco Palms, god willing.
The original resort was old and dated and needed much renovations in order to compete with the much newer resorts…having stayed there I observed areas which were run down and needed repair …in fact the pipes in bathroom sink leaked and the room was flooded…Coco Palms only claim to fame was the Elvis Presley movie which is probably why most guests stayed there but outside of that there was nothing impressive about the place which is why I never stayed there again……
I stayed there in the very early 60’s with my mom and dad and brothers. I was probably around 8. The place was magical to a little kid. I remember our large room had swinging, solid window coverings that were propped open by some sort of bar, with the lagoon below. We paddled a small outrigger in the lagoon, cowered away from the big water buffalo in the on-site petting zoo, and wandered among the coconut tree forest; it seemed like there were a thousand trees, with coconuts lying everywhere. Glad I got to experience it before it’s decline. One of my favorite early memories.
Coco Palms needs to be demolished. It has been a relic of abandonment for decades.
I broke my glass at that Hotel after meeting a beautiful Haole girl when we were on vacation back in the 60’s…Ooop’s right story wrong place to right about it.