RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Crews cut trees at Thomas Square yesterday on the first day of beautification work at the park that forced out some homeless people.

City’s Thomas Square cleanup boots homeless

The city closed Thomas Square yesterday for a four-day project to beautify the park that is forcing out a small group of homeless people.

Starting last night, the city also is permanently closing the park from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and it has installed gates to the bathrooms to deter people from going inside during off hours.

Six months after the city announced the Thomas Square project, some of the 20 homeless moved into shelters, down the street or to another park. Most of the homeless are single men, many of whom have lived in the park for years, even decades.

"The homeless in Thomas Square are a little bit different," said Darlene Hine, program director of Waikiki Health Center, which provides outreach services there. "We found most of them are chronic homeless with multiple problems like substance abuse and mental health problems."

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he hoped by announcing the park's closure in advance, the state and nonprofit organizations would help homeless find other alternatives.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Workers from Puanani Landscape and Maintenance trimmed trees at Thomas Square yesterday, the first day of beautification work at the park.

"This is all part I think of a successful formula we put forward with respect to cleaning our parks," Hannemann said. "When they involve the homeless, we are going to move very sensitively ... but our job is to maintain and clean up the park. We did it in Ala Moana, we did it at Maili Beach Park, and Thomas Square is just a part of our ongoing effort."

After city workers closed the park at 7 a.m. yesterday, a group of four men sat just outside the park on King Street.

"We knew they were coming," said Ed Soule, who claimed he has slept in Thomas Square for the past five years. "We don't have any place to go, so we don't leave until they push us out."

He sketched drawings of people's faces as he talked. His friend Ken Mays slept on a foam mattress next to him. The four said they will likely stick together and return to the park during the daytime. As for the nighttime, they said they will find another park.

Jyno Cyrus, 69, said he will miss sleeping under the park's banyan trees, a place he has called home for 15 years.

The work includes renovating and repairing picnic tables, benches, the bathroom and park fountains. The city plans to have the park reopened to the public on Friday.