The Hawaii Community Development Authority, which is overseeing the redevelopment of the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, is undertaking a year-long effort to plan for future facilities for the public parks in the makai, or ocean side, part of the area.
The state agency is holding a series of open houses to focus on the current challenges facing the parks and possible solutions for transforming these parks into better gathering places.
The first open house is scheduled for Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the HCDA Office at 461 Cooke St.
HCDA spokeswoman Lindsey Doi told PBN that the makai parks planning process will take about a year.
“This is being done in conjunction with the park [environmental impact statement] that will determine the viability of various ideas for what may be developed through public/ private partnerships at the makai parks,” she said in an email. “By the end of the planning process, we will have a completed EIS and a new Kakaako Makai Park Master Plan which will determine the best ways to activate our Waterfront Park, Gateway Parks, and Kewalo Basin Park.”
Another public hearing for this issue is scheduled for Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. at the HCDA Office.
“Since the community will play a major role in shaping this plan, we believe the final product will represent the community’s wants and needs and will go a long way toward creating meaningful gathering places,” Doi said.
With Kakaako Mauka [mountain side] gaining thousands of new residents in a number of new condominium towers under development, some are concerned about the number of park spaces in the area.