The campus at the Waikiki Community Center (WCC) is reaching the end of its practical lifespan, and that provides an ideal opportunity for the 46-year-old nonprofit running it to reenvision itself and plan for the next five decades.
WCC has never been fully renovated. “We’ve gotten to the point where things keep breaking down or we are doing expensive patches,” said President Caroline Hayashi. That’s not optimal for a social services hub that serves as a “one-stop shop” for programs including low-cost preschool, homelessness prevention, financial literacy education and senior services.
WCC’s leadership contemplates a major redevelopment, to include senior affordable housing as well as the “holistic” services currently provided. This presents an ideal opportunity to leverage local, state and federal funding that has been directed to providing affordable housing on Oahu, and should be pursued with vigor.
In Waikiki and statewide, the population is aging, and in the future, there will be a growing number of seniors who have critical needs requiring a complex array of services, Hayashi said. The U.S. Census shows that people older than 60 make up 30% of Waikiki’s population, and that proportion is expected to increase significantly over the next 20 years. Senior homelessness is also a growing phenomenon — not only in Waikiki, but nationwide.
Meanwhile, as Hayashi said during a briefing Tuesday with the Waikiki Neighborhood Board, there is a growing realization among public agencies and service providers that “getting people to the bare minimum is not enough.” That’s why redevelopment at the site, which stretches from Paoakalani Street to Ohua Street makai of Ala Wai Boulevard, is a winning proposition.
The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. (HHFDC), an experienced partner in facilitating such funding strategies, has entered into preliminary discussions over collaborating with the WCC on redevelopment, but many steps and challenges must be met before the vision can become reality. Negotiations must also be undertaken with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which administers the state-owned land under WCC.
Crucially, too, the WCC will need to raise more money than it has ever raised before to redevelop. Hayashi foresees the WCC taking on an aggressive capital campaign to succeed.
Tenants at the site include United Self Help, Aina Momona, Hope Chapel Waikiki and Hawaiian Community Assets. Waikiki Health — an essential service provider for the district — occupies a separate building on Ohua Street. Depending on the needs and assets of those entities, it could benefit them to participate in a drive to rebuild, remaining at the location.
A redeveloped WCC can also potentially include expanded services for its Thrive by 5 Affordable Preschool Initiative, which provides low-cost preschool for families with limited incomes and assets. As widespread preschool access is also a statewide goal, the state may well chip in support with funding earmarked for early education facilities.
Indeed, to the extent possible, all community groups with an interest in senior well-being, senior housing, early childhood education and the health and well-being of the Waikiki community as a whole should support this project. Certainly, Waikiki’s high-profile occupants, from corporate resorts to legacy foundations, should seek to support and speed this development.
An early opportunity to pitch in is coming up on Aug. 22, when the WCC holds a fundraiser, “Waikiki Lights 2024” at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Community support provides a platform for WCC’s growth to meet Waikiki’s future needs. Find out more at waikikicommunitycenter.org Opens in a new tab.
