Question: Now that the city is finally taking action on the Stairway to Heaven, is the Natatorium next?
Answer: No, not if you mean the next to be dismantled. On the contrary: The city plans to restore the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, including its saltwater swimming pool, in a public-private partnership that Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi supports. Here’s an emailed response from Scott Humber, a spokesperson for the mayor:
“The Department of Design and Construction is working on the engineering plans for the rehabilitation of the Natatorium. We anticipate preliminary plans to be finished in the next month and to be finalized by mid-to-late 2025, marking a significant milestone in the project timeline.
“The City has funded the design phase of the project, demonstrating our commitment to restoring this iconic landmark. Construction costs for the project will be a public-private partnership with the City (and) we will announce the plans once we are ready to move forward.
“It is important to note that Mayor Blangiardi is fully supportive of this project, recognizing its historical significance and the positive impact it will have on the community.”
The Natatorium, featuring a Beaux-Arts archway leading to an ocean-fed swimming pool with spectator seating, opened in 1927 as a “living memorial” to World War I veterans from Hawaii; it is listed on the national and Hawaii registers of historic places. The pool, adjacent to Kaimana Beach, fell into disrepair over the years and was closed in 1979. Opposing efforts to either restore it or demolish it seesawed over the decades. The restoration viewpoint seems to have prevailed since 2019, when the city’s final environmental impact statement said restoration as outlined in its “perimeter deck” alternative was the best option.
The executive director of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation said then (808ne.ws/hhfeis) that the EIS’ preferred option addressed “the need to improve safety, restore public access, limit environmental effects, honor the legacy of veterans and the history of World War I, and comply with historic preservation standards. The alternative addressed concerns for functionality, water quality and cost.”
Read more about the Natatorium at saving places.org/places/natatorium.
As for the Haiku Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, whose fate also has been the focus of opposing public campaigns for decades, with people seeking either to save or dismantle the breathtaking, illegally accessed trail to the top of the Koolau Range: The city announced last week that removal of the more than 3,900 steps will begin this month. Read more at 808ne.ws/3xC4gzg.
Tactful training
The city will offer employees of Oahu’s driver licensing centers and satellite city halls sensitivity training to help them all serve LGBTQ+ customers with care and tact. The new training is encouraged but not mandatory, according to an announcement from the city’s Department of Customer Services that is expected to be made today.
The training, which will consist of two 30-minute online video sessions followed by an in-person Q&A session, is designed to help employees handle various tasks, including transactions for transgender people, to ensure that all customers are treated with professionalism and courtesy, in person and over the phone. For example, employees will be trained to use a person’s chosen name and preferred gender pronoun in conversation when renewing a Hawaii driver’s license, while still adhering to identity documentation rules as required by the federal REAL ID law.
The department is working with the Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center and others in the LGBTQ+ community on the training for its nearly 300 employees.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
