MostEndangered2006

Lāna‘i City (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Pacific Stock UPDATE: 2015 Article Written By: Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU Magazine Much has changed on Lāna‘i since the last update we ran in 2006, the biggest, of course, being Larry Ellison’s purchase of 98 percent of the island in 2012. And though he, like previous owner David Murdock of Castle & Cooke, is investing in tourism, Ellison is also preserving historic structures. “All of the stores, all of the original buildings in the Dole Park square built between about 1924 and 1955, have been restored in their fronts, appearance and approach so that they look as they did when they were originally built, but are no longer falling apart,” says Kepā Maly, senior vice president of culture and historic preservation at Pūlama Lāna‘i. “Every community needs to have some type of economic driver. The foundation of that driver on Lāna‘i is our stories, our sense of place. The look of Lāna‘i City is part of that unique attribute.” UPDATE: 2009 The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Lanai City as one of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” in 2009 and listed development as the threat. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2006 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? For 70 years, Lana‘i City was a close-knit community united by a common purpose: pineapple. After buying the island in 1922, James Dole engineered a small plantation town perfectly suited to the new agricultural industry—small enough to have no stoplights, but complete with churches, businesses, entertainment and housing.“I’m continually amazed at the way that original design fostered a sense of community, a sense of place,” says Kepa Maly, a cultural historian and Lanai native. What threatens it? Lanai’s last pineapple crops were harvested in 1992, and Castle & Cooke, which owns almost 98 percent of the island, has turned to tourism and real estate. Change is inevitable, [...]

2017-04-21T01:01:12-10:00November 1st, 2015|Categories: MES Lanai|Tags: , |

Queen’s Theater (2006)

Photos:Courtesy of Rae Huo UPDATE: 2008 Friends of the Queen Theater (http://friendsofqueentheater.org/) was formed as a community-based campaign to raise public awareness of the theater and its potential for renovation and reuse. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2006 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Queen’s Theatre, near the top of Wai‘alae Avenue in Kaimukı, is a survivor from the golden age of cinema. Built in 1936, the 850-seat theater hosted everything from traveling vaudeville shows to 25-cent matinées. In later years, it became a second-run theater that hosted midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and then a XXX theater that was eventually raided by the police in the mid-1980s. It has lain dormant ever since, but its fading art deco façade still tantalizes theater buffs and neighborhood activists. Lowell Angell, a local theater historian, says, “It’s still one of the few, if not the only, remaining theater facilities that could be renovated and put back into use.” What threatens it? The reclusive owner of the theater, Narciso Yu. It’s not that he wants to tear it down. Ginny Meade, executive director of the Greater East Honolulu Community Alliance, says, “Ciso used to tell me that he had a dream that it would be a theater again, and so he wouldn’t let it become a car parts store like the Cinerama.” But Yu has proved resistant to any other plans for the theater, including restoration. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to get a hold of him. “Everyone in the world wants to restore or purchase or do something with that place, and they all call me to find out what’s going on,” Meade says. These days, though, even she doesn’t [...]

2016-11-17T09:15:58-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Sanju Pagoda and Kinkaku-Ji Temple (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? One of the finest examples of traditional Japanese architecture in Hawai‘i, the Sanju Pagoda in the Kyoto Gardens of Honolulu Memorial Park is also, believe it or not, the largest pagoda in the world. Architect Robert Katsuyoshi modeled it after the Minami Hoke-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, except 1-1⁄2 times larger, using concrete construction instead of the traditional wood to allow it to be used as a columbarium, along with the neighboring Kinkaku-ji Temple. In 2004, the pagoda was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. What threatens it? Twenty years of neglect. Over time, the neoprene roofing material has sprung leaks, exposing the reinforced concrete rafters to weakening moisture and decay. “[The neoprene] was supposed to be the best thing ever, but it turned out to be not so good, “says architect Lorraine Minatoishi Palumbo.“The eaves are in jeopardy right now, in bad condition and very heavy. At any point, one of those eaves could fall down. If one falls, it falls on the next, and the building would most likely collapse. It could happen pretty darn soon.” What can be done? Until recently, the situation had been complicated by a lawsuit over the leader-ship of Kyoto Gardens Park, the nonprofit entity in charge of fund-raising. The nonprofit’s assets were frozen pending a ruling on its rightful board of directors: a group of niche and plot owners, or City Councilman Rod Tam and Nu‘uanu businessman Vic Hejmadi. Fortunately, a settlement was reached last month that will allow regular grounds maintenance to begin again, but it will likely take $2 million or more to reconstruct the pagoda’s eaves and [...]

2016-11-17T09:26:44-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Manager’s House, Ewa Plantation Villages (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Built in 1925, the plantation manager’s house was the most imposing residence on the ‘Ewa Sugar Plantation—a two-story colonial revival with a large yard and a grand entry drive, as well as an arched porte cochere. After sugar operations ended in the early 1970s, the house suffered from a lack of maintenance until the City and County of Honolulu bought the plantation property in 1995. The manager’s house was placed, along with the rest of the ‘Ewa Sugar Plantation Villages, on the National Register of Historic Places, and, until a few years ago, was regularly used as a neighborhood gathering place for meetings and parties. What threatens it? Although the house suffers from termite damage and its lead-based paint and out-of-code plumbing and electrical wiring must be replaced, state Rep. Rida Cabanilla says the primary threat to the property is the City and County’s lack of a plan. Since Mayor Mufi Hannemann succeeded Jeremy Harris in 2004, the house has been closed to the public, and some areas of the property look like a junkyard. “Why is it in such a state of disrepair? I call it demolition by neglect,” Cabanilla says. “It’s a shame, because it has so much historic value.” What can be done? There is no shortage of interest in the property; the ‘Ewa Historical Society has said it would like to acquire the manager’s house, as has the ‘Ewa Villages Homeowners Association. But some say that the city’s current administration has been frustratingly unresponsive. Tesha Malama, manager of the ‘Ewa Village Homeowners Association, says, “Right now, it’s a question of the city moving into action, but [...]

2016-11-17T09:29:45-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Walker Estate, Nu‘uanu (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Augie Salbosa Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? A stately, 5.7-acre estate in the heart of Nu‘uanu, this property is one of the last great Honolulu estates of the glamorous Big Five era. The Classical Revival house was built in 1905 by George Rodiek, of H. Hackfeld and Co., which later became Amfac Inc., and the estate became a hub of high society under the ownership of Henry Alexander Walker, president of Amfac and the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association. Architect Bob Fox says, “It’s an extraordinary historic asset. It’s a turn-of-the-century Hawaiian estate, and there’s very little like it left on the island, certainly not in central Honolulu.” What threatens it? TR Partners, a local firm currently in the process of buying the Walker Estate for more than $10 million from the current owner, Holy-Eye, has applied for demolition permits to make way for new development on the property. “We’re still evaluating it, trying to find the best use for [the property], but as of right now it’s looking like we’re going to bulldoze the whole thing,” says developer Greg Clark. What can be done? Although the Walker Estate is on both the National Register of Historic Places and Hawaii’s historical register, neither of these designations offer much legal protection from demolition. It’s private property, and as long as TR Partners does everything by the book, they’re free to do what they want with it. Unless Clark and his partner, Tom Enomoto, decide on a compromise plan that preserves the property’s historic structures, someone would have to swoop in with enough cash to buy the estate. As of this writing, no such wealthy benefactor has stepped forward. "A lot [...]

2016-11-17T09:32:58-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Mapulehu Glass House (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Arleone Dibben-Young Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? In 1930, when it was built, the Mapulehu Glass House on Moloka‘i was the largest glass conservatory in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Sugar Planters Association used the greenhouse to quarantine experimental strains of sugar cane until the mid-’70s. Since then, the property it sits on has been used as a heleconia and ginger farm and a Nene hatchery. It’s currently owned by Ka Hale Pomaika‘i, a substance-abuse recovery nonprofit. What threatens it? Competing claims have prevented a clear preservation plan for the 8.9-acre property, since human bones were uncovered by a former leaseholder. Ka Hale Pomaika‘i wants to fix up the property’s main residence to house recovering drug addicts, but they’re being blocked by Hawaiian activists such as Raymond Leimana Naki and Alapai Hanapi, who insist that the structures on the property—glass house included—must be razed for a bone repository. “We want the iwi (bones) laid to rest,” says Naki. “Mapulehu has a long history of our kupuna and our chiefs.” Even if the compromise burial plan Ka Hale Pomaika‘i is proposing is approved, the nonprofit has no plans to restore the glass house, as it’s not central to the primary mission of drug rehabilitation. What can be done? As the battle continues, the glass house deteriorates. Vandals have broken out many of the hand-poured glass panes, as have hale koa trees, which are growing up through the structure. Most seriously, the glass house’s foundation is weakening, due to the disintegration of the beach sand used in the foundation concrete. The previous owner, Arleone Dibben-Young of Nene o Moloka‘i, says she got a 1997 estimate of $90,000 to stabilize the foundation [...]

2017-04-21T01:01:46-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Molokai|Tags: , |

Pu‘unēnē Congregational Church (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Matt Thayer Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? As one of Maui’s first Japanese Christian churches, the Pu‘unene Congregational Church played an important part in the lives of many plantation workers who lived and worked near the Pu‘unene Sugar Mill. Built in 1910, the church has housed multiple congregations, including the United Church of Christ (1949 to 1968) and the Lanakila Church of Full Gospel of Jesus Christ (1972 to 1995). What threatens it? The church has been sitting vacant for more than a decade, and its owner, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., is eyeing the site for a possible new ethanol plant. To its credit, the company has been doing its best to avoid tearing the church down. HC&S’s Derek Heafey says, “It’s such a beautiful church, and it would be a shame to demolish it; we’ve been trying to give it away for years.” What’s not to like about a free church? Turns out it’s a bit of a white elephant: Local moving companies were estimating the cost of moving the structure at $500,000 or more. What can be done? HC&S had gone as far as applying for a demolition permit when Big Island contractor Tom Quinlan stepped forward. An experienced historic preservation expert, Quinlan has volunteered to move the entire church, although he’s still looking for someone willing to accept a church on their property. “I’m hoping to get word out to find a place I could relocate it on Maui,” Quinlan says. Time is running out—Heafey says HC&S wants the church relocated by January 2007.

2016-11-17T11:45:41-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Maui|Tags: , |

Gulick Rowell House, Waimea (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of David and Sue Boynton Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Amazingly, this two-story coral limestone house in Waimea, Kaua‘i, has been in almost continuous use as a residential home since missionary Peter Gulick built it more than 178 years ago. “It’s got all this wonderful history spanning from the missionary times through to the sugar era,” says Linda Faye Collins, president of the Kikiaola Land Co., an offshoot of the original Waimea Sugar Mill Co., which has long owned the property. The house became a home for the sugar company’s plantation managers, and, at one point, its basement even served as the town jailhouse. Today the Gulick-Rowell House is prized by historic-minded community members and architects as an irreplaceable example of traditional New England architecture in Hawai‘i. What threatens it? The litany of woes you’d expect from a house nearing its bicentennial—sagging wood floors, water damage, cracks in the foundation, to name a few. A 1997 inspection estimated the cost of renovation at $1.2 million, a figure that can only have grown since then. The situation has taken on a new urgency this year: The two sisters who have lived in the house their entire lives are moving out. Architect Bob Fox, who helped inspect the building, says vandalism and environmental wear and tear now pose increased threats to the newly empty home. “Once a house is unoccupied, it’s amazing how quickly it deteriorates. I don’t know what it is, but it seems like the whole building gives up and just rots away,” he says. What can be done? Kikiaola Land Co. is looking to create a nonprofit organization to raise funds for repair and renovation. Possible solutions [...]

2016-11-17T11:40:52-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Kauai|Tags: , |

Kokee Park (2006) SAVED

Photos: Courtesy of David Cornwell UPDATE: 2012 Hui o Laka renovated the historic and formerly abandoned Civilian Conservation Corps Complex (CCC Complex), both buildings and grounds, into a fully functioning volunteer service facility, in keeping with the original use in 1938. Constructed in 1935, as part of President Roosevelt’s national program “to provide work and job training for young men in conserving and developing the nation’s natural resources,” the  CCC Complex site accommodated many groups and programs over the years. This renovation is critical to protect and preserve a  complex of buildings that once served a national purpose, and stands as a landmark for the commitment of generations of people who have volunteered and dedicated themselves to community service in order to nurture Kōke‘e's native forest, and to educate visitor and kama‘āina alike. Hui o Laka received a Preservation Honor Award at Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s 2012 Preservation Honor Awards Ceremony for the restoration of the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Complex. UPDATE: SAVED IN 2011 According to Holly McEldowney of State Parks, auctions for leases on the last sixteen residences have been completed. Approval has been given for Mason Architects, Inc. to finish historic preservation design standards for the site. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2006 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Ahh, Koke‘e, an idyllic 4,345 acres of mountainous Kaua‘i state park. It’s also home to 114 secluded recreational cabins—92 of them more than 50 years old—which have been caught in the middle of a preservation battle. The 20-year leases on the rustic cabins are set to expire at the end of this year, and the state plans to put them up for open auction, sparking heated protests from the current lessees, who [...]

2016-11-17T11:41:41-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Kauai|Tags: , |
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