The area around Ala Moana Center has a lot going for it, according to Nate Cherry, a California architect who, along with Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting, has created a new vision for the neighborhood through a new Transit Oriented Development plan for Honolulu’s rail system that will be presented to the public next week.
The City and County of Honolulu hired Cherry, vice president of the global architectural firm RTKL, to craft a plan for the Ala Moana neighborhood in anticipation of the completion of the $5.16 billion Honolulu rail project.
Nestled between downtown and Waikiki, the neighborhood has Ala Moana Park, Ala Moana Center and the Hawaii Convention Center.
It also has Kapiolani Boulevard, which Cherry called Honolulu’s “grand boulevard.”
What it lacks, though, is walkability and smaller, outside gathering places, Cherry said.
Kapiolani Boulevard acts as a corridor between the airport and downtown and Waikiki, but Cherry imagines a neighborhood where “locals can really enjoy themselves along the sidewalks,” Cherry said.
That could happen in the coming years, as the rail projects moves forward, Cherry said. Ala Moana will be the last stop on the 20-mile route from Kapolei, with the station located on Kona Street between the mall and Kapiolani Boulevard.
“The big idea of the project is to improve streets and have wider sidewalks, better tree canopies, bike trails and park improvements,” Cherry said.
The TOD plan includes parks at Kapiolani Boulevard and Pensacola Street near McKinley High School, and in the Kaheka subdistrict.
Cherry will present his plan to the public on at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the cafeteria at Washington Middle School at 1633 S. King St.
Cherry has also created a TOD plan for the neighborhood surrounding the Aloha Stadium station.
So far, eight TOD plans have been created for the rail project. The plans cover mixed-use development within a quarter mile of each station. Honolulu’s TOD website said the plans look at land use, circulation, urban design, housing, facilities, parking, pedestrian amenities, historic and cultural enhancements and public investments.
The redevelopment would be paid for through a combination of public and private money.
Bill Cresenzo Reporter – Pacific Business News