KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Don Ojiri, president of Obun Hawaii Group, also acts as president of the Kakaako Improvement Association, which is pushing to develop an ocean sciences facility next to Kewalo Basin.
Association pushes
for better KakaakoWhat is the association's mission?
Day job: President of Obun Hawaii Group Don Ojiri
Board post: President of the Kakaako Improvement Association
Kakaako Improvement Association: Formed in 1987 as a forum for Kakaako businesses.
Other officers: Vice President Kendall Hee, Secretary Beverly Harbin and Treasurer Dick Hagstrom.
Board members: Don Bremner, Dave Chun, Jay Kadowaki, Debbie Kim, Paul Kimura, John Peterson, Melisa Preus, Susan Utsugi and Dan Yokoo.
We're a community association involved in the development of the area and responsible for making sure traffic problems are addressed and that sort of thing. We're working on the medical center. That's the big thing going on there now.
How long have you been involved, and why?
I've been involved for 10 years. I was asked to serve by Victoria Ward. They wanted small businesses, not just big businesses, involved.
This is the second year of your term as president and it's been a very busy time in Kakaako. Why did you chose to serve now?
We all have to take our turn in serving as officers and leaders, otherwise nobody wants to step up to the plate. Everybody's busy. So our organization has a very good governance system.
Are you looking forward to the end of the year?
I'm enjoying my tenure so far. I'm not burned out yet.
What is your goal as president?
To see it through of course, to make sure the medical center gets off on time. To get the Kajima ocean sciences facility approved. To get a new membership directory out. Membership development is very important to the health of the organization and we're doing pretty well with that.
The development of Kakaako is being touted as a catalyst for the state's economy. How far away is that payoff?
It's probably a few years away, but when the medical and ocean sciences centers are built and running, that will contribute to the economy and support opportunities for small businesses in the area.
A lot of the businesses that have gone into the latest portion of Victoria Ward's Kakaako development are mainland chains. Are there going to be opportunities for smaller, local businesses in the "new" Kakaako?
I don't think we're going to see the automotive shops, the body and paint shops that have been in the area. I'm not clear about what the government is going to allow. But you see things happening with Victoria Ward's project, the entertainment center, and that's good. Retail and food establishments are popping up all around us, drawing foot traffic to the area. That presents opportunities for small business.
The area's infrastructure has been criticized for a long time. How are traffic and sewage concerns being addressed?
The Queen Street extension is going to alleviate a lot of the traffic problem. There are plans for better sidewalks and gutter systems to control runoff, to direct it into the sewers. That way there won't be standing water all around after a heavy rain.
What are the potential roadblocks on the way to a better Kakaako?
Government approval of infrastructure funding; whether they'll float bonds to do the improvements, or whether private developers will have to cough up the money.
Inside Hawaii Inc. is a conversation with a member of the Hawaii business community who has changed jobs, been elected to a board or been recognized for accomplishments. Send questions and comments to business@starbulletin.com.
