A portion of the sidewalks along Kalakaua Avenue will soon get an overhaul as the city and its private industry partners begin their first major Waikiki sidewalk project since the city readied the tourism district to host the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering.
The project will begin May 1 and continue until January, the city said. The project includes repairing existing Kalakaua Avenue sidewalks with quartzite rock pavers; modifying or adding landscape strips; drainage improvements; irrigation systems; electrical improvements; adjusting existing utility boxes; curb ramp improvements; and pavement striping.
In addition to sprucing up the sidewalks, city and private interests are increasingly looking for ways to implement landscaping and sidewalk designs that are designed to make loitering and sleeping on the sidewalk more difficult.
“We are definitely trying to remove attractive nuisances,” said Rick Egged,Waikiki Improvement Association president. Attractive nuisances are
objects on a property that might attract dangerous
or illegal behavior.
”We are trying to clean up the urban landscape,” Egged said.
Waikiki resident Dave Moskowitz said this week’s removal of a bench in front of the Coco Cove convenience store is an example of how public and private interests can work together to address long-standing neighborhood concerns.
“That was getting to be a very seedy area,” Moskowitz said. “People were hanging out there sleeping, loitering and selling drugs. There were fights and other problems with crime. I’d like to see more of these
areas addressed to create more open, safe space.”
Sidewalk work for the latest project will be conducted in phases. The city plans to start at the sidewalks fronting the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and then progress to sidewalks by Macy’s, the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, the ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, the stretch between Foster Tower and St. Augustine Church by the Sea Parish, and the area near the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel and the Park Shore Waikiki.
Work will take place
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The city advises motorists to use caution and to anticipate delays.
Robert Finley, Waikiki Neighborhood Board chairman, said the work will be welcome in Waikiki despite the disruptions.
“There will be a good deal of construction, which will disrupt things a little, but this is needed for safety reasons. It’s the omelet-and-the-egg thing. You have to break the egg to make the omelet. In the end it will be beautiful,” Finley said.
