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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Plan under way to demolish Knights Inn
Question: I would like to know who to complain to about the vacant Knights Inn structure on North King Street. I am a resident in the area who passes it every day. It has become a major eyesore, with busted windows and major vandalism to go with graffiti covering the whole building. Even the front entrance is wide open because someone broke the door down! Can some authority require the owners to do something? Like repaint or, better yet, tear the building down since it's been vacant for many years?
Answer: The city Building Division just last week sent a "notice of violation" to the property owner, ordering it to either repair or demolish the building at 2300 N. King St. and, more immediately, to board up or otherwise secure the building.
But the owner, Rosebridge LLC, already had plans to have the long-vacant building demolished, "probably in another month."
"We want that thing out because it is just an eyesore," said Franklin Kudo, managing partner in Rosebridge, a land company, and chief executive officer of New City Nissan.
Rosebridge bought the property, along with the Kalihi Shopping Center property across the street, about two years ago to eventually house two car dealerships -- New City Nissan and Evolution Hyundai.
It's taken awhile to get the architectural plans and permits, Kudo said, but the target date for opening the dealerships is spring 2008. New City Nissan has been leasing space at 900 Ala Moana in Kakaako from Bishop Estate, which plans to redevelop the area.
City records show the Kalihi building was built in 1964 and was last listed as an "eating and drinking place." Many people remember the building as the Knight's Inn, but it had been occupied by other eateries before being shuttered years ago.
The property has been used in recent years as a temporary site for selling Christmas trees and fireworks.
Based on your complaint, building inspector Ed Endrina said he inspected the property and found violations under Chapter 16, Section 102 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu relating to "unsafe buildings."
"They have 30 days to correct (the violations), requiring them to obtain either a repair or demolition permit," he said. Endrina also said he found the yard littered with weeds and trash, which needed to be cleared.
Mahalo
To all those who helped me at the Honolulu Airport interisland parking lot Feb. 5. I was there to get a car for someone in the hospital who was unable to go himself. Security guards Marlo and Emerson found the car. They were very professional and courteous. The lady working at the state Transportation Department office on the seventh floor, and the lady at the AMPCO parking control office, also were helpful. I hope all their supervisors see this and give each one a raise! -- No Name
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers