The Long and Short of It in Kakaako

Why should we transform our political thinking from narrow and short-term to broad and long-term? Consider the strategically situated plot of land Ewa of Kewalo Basin. The Hawaii Community Development Agency has adopted a plan for mixed use, including expensive high-rise construction. If we only look at this one piece of ground, there is nothing inherently wrong with the plan. In and of itself, it is an admirable enough plan, but if we look at a bigger picture we can see why it has run into so much opposition.

HCDA asked, "How can we put this land to use now?" The public asked, "What do we want from this land in perpetuity?" The public asked the better question, with the realization that, when land is developed, its other potentials are gone forever.

The negative public reaction reflected a widespread desire for open space and a strong sense of public purpose for lands between Ala Moana Boulevard and the ocean. This was an instance in which the public had time to become informed and involved, and the public's sense of context was stronger than HCDA's.

A clue to the public response could have been found in two of our earliest landmark planning cases. One was the controversy over a proposal in 1966 to build a high-rise below Diamond Head Road, on the brow of the famous landmark. A public uproar killed the idea.

The second was in 1970, when high-rise construction was proposed for both the Magic Island and Kewalo ends of Ala Moana Park. Although this plan followed the original design for dredging and improving the area, the public spoke out against it. Today this land is open space.

All of us, meaning elected officials, government agencies and the general public, need to get more comfortable with land banking. Land banking means allowing land to be unused or minimally used for an indefinite period, until such time as its real value to the public becomes apparent.

The piece of land above downtown known as Block J, bounded by Beretania, Kukui, Queen Emma and Pali Highway, was until recently a parking lot. It reportedly generated $370,000 a year in revenues. It was the mountainside gateway to downtown. It had the potential to serve as a public reserve for the eventual expansion of the Honolulu urban core. Something wonderful could have been done with Block J and, in the meantime, the city parking lot was a productive placeholder of the open space.

Tragically, Block J was sold off by a financially strapped city government under the management of the previous mayor. The reported sale price was $10.5 million. The small effect this money had on the public balance sheet has long since been forgotten. The money is gone.

The opportunity for something good, possibly something great, is also gone. The parking lot is closed and being demolished. What is planned next may shock many who pass by—the construction of a 39-story condominium, with a car dealership on the ground floor.

Kewalo Basin and Block J have separate histories that should be dealt with similarly, by thinking about the long-term management of precious resources. At Kewalo, the dissenting public made its feelings known, but, in Block J, the public never seemed to get the picture, not that the news media did much if anything to help people understand. We need more discussion of planning and we need to energize ourselves as advocates. We need to create leaders who will do the right thing for the long term, regardless of the level of public awareness.

George R. Ariyoshi, chairman and cofounder of Convergence CT and Cellular Bioengineering, is the former president of Prince Resorts Hawaii Inc. He is active in international business circles, particularly in Asia. An attorney by profession, Ariyoshi served in elective office in Hawaii from 1954 to 1986. He served as governor of Hawaii from 1973 to 1986 and was the first Japanese American to be elected governor in the United States.

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