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DENNIS ODA / APRIL 19
The Waikiki “Centennial Park,” bounded by Seaside and Aloha avenues, has been a long time coming — at least 16 years — and it’s time for the City Council to approve the public-private partnership to transform the mangy overgrown lot into the envisioned open-space park oasis.
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As Nike says: Just. Do. It.
The Waikiki “Centennial Park,” bounded by Seaside and Aloha avenues, has been a long time coming — at least 16 years — and it’s time for the City Council to approve the public-private partnership to transform the mangy overgrown lot into the envisioned open-space park oasis. And the city administration needs to stop entertaining proposals that nibble away at, and potentially further delay, that vision.
The park plan has raised some $570,000 in donations after Rotary Hawaii jumped aboard, hoping to turn the 33,000-square-foot block into a public park that also honors Rotary’s service-oriented vibe. See centennialparkwaikiki.org for an impressive rendering of the park, complete with security fencing, ala Iolani Palace, to dissuade squatters.
However, concerns over site inclusion of a Hawaiian Electric Co. switching station and a staging area for tourism buses and vans prompted a delay this week, for a public hearing. A final vote to green-light the project now goes to the Council on May 8. Our take: This is a worthwhile project. Get it underway now and done before more entities come up with proposals to encroach into this coveted Waikiki space.