Beachgoers seem oblivious as constuction of a new Queen's Surf comfort
station and snack bar continues. Photo by Dennis Oda

"The city can't possibly be getting its money's worth," said Bill Woods, who believes the old facility should have been renovated rather than demolished to make way for two new structures.

The city opted to tear down the bathhouse/comfort station, once part of the former Queen's Surf Restaurant and a combination beach concession, bathhouse and rest room facility.

Allied Construction is replacing them with two structures to include toilets, dressing areas, a kitchen, snack bar, covered lanai, storage areas and two utility rooms.

"The issue here is that . . . there's nothing wrong with these buildings," Woods said. "There's no reason to tear them down."

But parks spokeswoman Patti Nagao said the city determined it would be more cost-effective to rebuild than to renovate.

A project rationale provided by Nagao said the buildings - one converted into a bathhouse in 1965, the other built in 1968 - were "beyond their service life." She said the buildings would have required major plumbing and electrical work as well as extensive modifications to make them accessible to those with disabilities.

City facilities chief Dan Takamatsu said that although the city never made a detailed cost estimate of a renovation, a rough estimate revealed it would cost more than $800,000.

"We think the city is getting its money's worth on this project," Nagao said. "People don't realize what's involved. They take a look at a building and say that looks OK. But we're talking about a building that's 30 years old."

Bidding on the project was opened in 1994, but because of a permitting logjam, construction didn't get under way for more than a year. "It looked like it came out of nowhere," he said.

Michelle Matson of the Kapiolani Park Preservation Society said the organization is concerned about the height, density and cost of the new facility. She said the project was approved with little public fanfare.

"What we're looking at here is the propensity of the city to put things out to bid prior to public review and prior to appeal by the City Council," she said.

Takamatsu said the public got an opportunity to consider the project during 1994 budget hearings.

He said the master plan calls for opening up ocean views in the park.

"This blocks less of the vista of the ocean," he said. " . . . Everything costs a lot nowadays. ... A standard comfort station has been running us a quarter-million dollars."

"I think we need to demand better from our government," Matson said.