The place formerly known as the Coco Palms Hotel will never ever be developed again as a hotel or resort property. Of this, we are sure. Elvis has indeed left the building.
It is, of course, likely that the history of the Coco Palms Hotel will be tucked into some corner of a future historical museum and cultural center. And it could very well be that music and entertainment will once again flourish in this very special spot. Possibly weddings, too.
But there will be no hotel, no resort, no timeshare and no high-end real estate development. On these points the people on Kauai are united. In personal conversations with people from all walks of life, from businesswoman, to politician, to canoe paddler, we have yet to find anyone who either believes a resort development is feasible or wanted.
While the Coco Palms Hotel served its purpose during its time, that time has long passed.
This very special place, Wailuanuiahoʻano, is destined to be owned by the community, developed by the community, and managed by the community — based first and foremost on a community vision honoring the deep history and culture of this sacred spot. Those who will lead this discussion are those with ancestral roots in this aina. Imagine for a moment the potential.
The stars and the community are aligned on this. There is too much at stake and far too many now have the resolve to stay the course, and will refuse to stand down — regardless of the challenges and adversity that might attempt to stand in the way.
After all, we are speaking of the birthplace of kings and queens. These are historic crown lands and once hosted royal compounds, stately temple sites, a royal birthing site and other religious locales. The eminent residences for the aliʻi were here, and it was the primary domain and seat of government for the reigning chiefs of the Puna moku, or district.
The legacy of Queen Deborah Kapule (last Queen of Kauai) and Wailua will be nurtured and restored via the generosity of many. Some will give of their knowledge and experience. Some will contribute the sweat of their brow and the labor of their backs. Others will contribute the funds needed to make this dream a reality. All will come together in mutual respect, valuing each other’s contributions, to honor the past and make reality a dream for the future.
Located behind Queen Deborah Kapule’s thatched home were taro patches, walled fish ponds and pastures. Koloa ducks were plentiful. A number of fishponds were maintained on the property.
The property has two ancient loko iʻa (fishponds), both loko puʻuone (dune banked inland fishponds), named Weuweu and Kaiwiiki or Kawaiiki. They are estimated to be at least 600 to 800-plus years old. The remains of iwi kupuna buried in these sacred lands must be preserved and the ancestors known to be here and those yet to be discovered, need to be honored.
Achieving this dream might seem a heavy lift to some, but then again, there is no stopping a community that is determined, focused and committed to working together to make a dream a reality.
Pua Rossi-Fukino, Makana Reilly and Fern Anuenue Holland submitted this on behalf of I Ola Wailuanui Working Group, which is helping to drive this conversation and initiative; for more, see wailuanui.org and bit.ly/wailuanui.
