Kakaako renewal
begins with five-
lane road
The Ward Avenue extension
By Stan Constantino
advances plans for a 'parklike'
district, the governor says
Star-BulletinWhen William Spencer looks at the waterfront near Ward Avenue, he sees a "best bet" -- property that could attract businesses and help the state's economy.
"I think that developing an area that's prime will bring in businesses that have deeper pockets and more staying power, and that will have an effect in the community in terms of jobs," said Spencer, a member of the Ala Moana/Kakaako Neighborhood Board.
The Hawaii Community Development Authority also sees promise in the waterfront as it starts the Ward Avenue extension project, following a groundbreaking last week by Gov. Ben Cayetano and other officials.
The $6.6 million project calls for construction of a new five-lane roadway from the intersection of Ward Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard to the intersection of Ahui and Ilalo streets.
Cayetano said the extension is "a major part of our plans to transform Kakaako's makai district into a parklike environment."
The project will be done in two phases. The first phase involves the demolition and refacing of several structures in the area. The second phase, tentatively scheduled to begin in October, will include infrastructure and roadway improvements.
Completion is expected to take 15 to 18 months.
The extension is part of a plan to transform Kakaako's makai district with new waterfront development -- both to raise revenue for the state and provide a "gathering place for Hawaii's residents and visitors," according to the HCDA, which regulates Kakaako development.
Upon completion of the project, residents and visitors will have an easier time going to the new 6-acre Makai Gateway Park and the Children's Discovery Center, the HCDA said.
There also are plans for a 25-screen theater complex at Ilalo and Keawe streets, an aquarium combined with an ocean research center, and seafood markets and restaurants on the Ewa side of Kewalo Basin.
In addition, commercial buildings are planned for the area between the gateway park and Kewalo Basin.
"The area surrounding waterfront park and the Children's Museum and Performing Arts Center is fast on its way to becoming a new adventure spot for children and families to enjoy their time together," Cayetano said.
Among the infrastructure improvements will be the relocation and expansion of existing overhead electrical, telephone and cable television lines to new underground systems.
The work should not create traffic problems in the area, said HCDA Executive Director Jan Yokota.
The construction site "is not a heavily traveled area," she said. "We'll be starting on the Ahui Street end, and there's not very much traffic there."
Broader plans for Kakaako's makai district include improvements to Ilalo Street -- projected to begin in October 1999 -- and extending Punchbowl and South streets into the area, scheduled to start in mid-2000.
The state Legislature this year approved $36 million for the entire project, which will be funded by general obligation bonds, said Yokota.
Larry Hurst, chairman of the Parks and Waterways Committee, said the area has "real potential for development."
"The things they plan on developing there will be more for the people," Hurst said. "I think in the long run it'll be an economic gain."
