The iconic shell-shaped outdoor venue on the edge of Waikiki that’s played host to hula festivals, music concerts and other entertainment events for nearly 70 years is expected to undergo major improvements in the future.
The city’s Department of Enterprise Services plans for a phased renovation to the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, located on a roughly 6-acre site at 2805 Monsarrat Ave.
Proposed upgrades to the venue first built in 1956 — which in 2018 was renamed after the legendary concert promoter who died two years prior at age 85 — would include replacement and expansion of its nearly 2,000 fixed seats, modification to its orchestra pit, installation of new sound baffles, and replacement of an open-air food concession stand, among other changes.
The Honolulu City Council’s Committee on Zoning last week granted initial approval, under Resolution 238, for a special management area use permit toward that renovation effort. The full City Council is expected to review the project’s permit next month.
“All of the improvements presented today fall within the Waikiki Shell area, and they don’t extend beyond the Shell premises,” said Isaiah Sato, representing contractor R.M. Towill Corp., at the Oct. 18 meeting.
Among the changes, an existing metal-framed sign structure — about 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide — located at the entrance to the Shell will be scrapped, Sato said.
“The Tom Moffatt family has proposed to contribute to an entry sign,” he said. “At this time, we don’t have specific details of the design or appearance of this sign but the maximum dimensions will not exceed the existing structure.”
Likewise, a 20-by-20-foot food concession stand will also be removed, he added.
“The applicant is proposing to replace this structure in kind,” Sato said. “So a new, open-air food concession of similar scale, size and function” can be built.
And the orchestra pit and its accompanying apron — formerly a pool — that suffer drainage issues will be fixed.
“In rainfall events, this apron area doesn’t properly drain, so storm water will pond there,” Sato said.
To that end, the city plans to demolish an existing wall between the orchestra pit and former pool area and regrade the concrete slab to eliminate ponding.
New seating — in a venue currently boasting 8,611 total seats — will be added.
“So we intend to replace the seats in kind,” Sato said. “So just new seats; same layout, same style.”
That work includes an overall expansion of the Shell’s fixed seating area into the site’s upper lawn as well, for an additional 2,000 fixed seats. He noted seating improvements “will not increase or change the capacity of the Shell.”
“It will create more seats by swapping out existing lawn area (seating),” he said.
Also, an existing 15-by-15-foot sound bunker will be demolished. Built in the 1990s, the bunker was originally intended to be used by sound and lighting engineers during performances.
“However, the current practice is to have the sound engineers out in the open where the public would be,” Sato said. “So it’s a very underutilized bunker.”
To the rear of the Shell, a concrete sidewalk near a chain-link fence and a stand of trees will be turned into a sound baffle wall that features a 10-foot-high pedestrian walkway overhang.
The sound baffle wall — about 10 to 20 feet high and to extend the length of the lawn by about 550 feet — is meant to absorb, scatter and reflect back sound waves emanating from the stage, to reduce noise impacts to the surrounding neighborhood.
Sato said the wall will be under the tree covering. “So it’s not going to be an extremely large or rambunctious design; it’s intended to really fit the area there.”
Prior to its vote, Vice Chair Esther Kia‘aina wanted to ensure that these upgrades — especially toward additional seating — were not being done for the sake of tourism.
“First of all I’m looking forward to a vibrant Waikiki Shell,” she said. “I just want to make sure we’re not trying to increase the number of tourists in Waikiki.”
In response, Sato said the “goal is to improve the guest experience by creating more premium and accessible seats.”
“So these seats will be used by elderly or other people who might have trouble sitting in the lawn area with up to 4,000 seats there,” he added.
City staffers would also note the venue was often at maximum capacity with regard to available seating.
Meantime, Council member Andria Tupola questioned how many times per year the city rented out the Waikiki Shell.
To that, DES Deputy Director Tracy Kubota said the city was trying to “increase our bookings at the Shell.”
“Right now, it is being heavily utilized as well because of the closures for Blaisdell’s construction,” Kubota said, alluding to the $43.6 million campuswide capital improvement project that began in February at the city’s main entertainment site off Ward Avenue. “However, going forward, we are just trying to make sure that we can enhance and support what people have been asking for over the years — to just be able to get more people seated, and more people accommodated for these types of events.”
Later, Tupola said she wanted to ensure that with the Waikiki Shell upgrades the city was “investing in something that has positive net gain.”
“You know, that brings profit into the city,” she added.
After the meeting, Ian Scheuring, the mayor’s deputy communications director, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the city’s planned work on the Waikiki Shell is only at the earliest stages, as it still awaits Council passage of Resolution 238.
“As a result, until the SMA permit is granted, we do not have any CIP projects requested or any project costs estimated,” Scheuring said via email. “We also do not have any start dates or project details at this time.”
