Photo: AHL
PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2018 – TESTIMONY ENCOURAGED
11/2/18: A public hearing on whether to approve additional density, height and other development bonuses for the SKY ALAMOANA Condo-Hotel and Residential Development Project will be held on Wednesday, November 7.
The proposed development would demolish the historically-significant Kenrock Buildings and allow a massive new set of towers in their place. The Department of Planning and Permitting recommends approval of the project with no conditions or design modifications related to the effect on the historic properties. The Council Committee on Zoning and Housing will take public comment.
CLICK HERE for the hearing notice and link to the development proposal.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation testified in opposition to the development because of the extreme adverse effect on significant historic resources. Click here to read HHF’s testimony.
Preservationists who are concerned with the effect of the project are encouraged to submit written testimony, CLICK HERE to submit written testimony.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY
To: Honolulu City Council Committee on Zoning and Housing
Hearing Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2018
RE: Opposition to Resolution 18-248, IPD-T for the Sky Ala Moana Condo-Hotel and Residential Development Project
FROM: [Name]
[Contact Information]
The proposed high-density development at located at 1388, 1400 and 1418 Kapiolani Boulevard would demolish three historic buildings known as the Kenrock Buildings. These buildings are significant examples of Honolulu’s Mid-Century Modern architectural period and embody the work of master architects. These important buildings should be preserved and integrated into the development plan in a sensitive way.
The rush to add housing and additional density in the urban center should not be done at the expense of livable cities that honor their past and the heritage sites that tell the fullness of Honolulu’s stories. Thoughtful development can incorporate historic structures. Until and unless Sky Ala Moana is redesigned to preserve the Kenrock Buildings, the proposed IPD-T should be denied.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
____________________________________
7/1/2018: The iconic Kenrock Buildings on Kapi‘olani Boulevard in Honolulu would be demolished if City Council approves a proposal for a mixed use development under a rezoning request related to Transit Oriented Development (TOD) near the planned Ala Moana Station.
HHF submitted testimony opposing the plan for a Department of Planning and Permitting public hearing in June. DPP will make a recommendation to City Council, which will hold further hearings on the proposal.
The applicant proposes to develop a mixed-use project comprised of 400 condominium residences, a 322-unit condo-hotel, 110 rental units, commercial spaces and ancillary common area amenities, in addition to about 1000 parking stalls. This will be accomplished by demolishing low-rise commercial buildings, including the three historically-significant Kenrock Buildings at 1400 Kapi‘olani Boulevard.
The development proposes almost triple the number of recommended parking stalls, substantially overbuilding parking and undermining the stated TOD goal to encourage transit ridership and multi-modal use. This predominance of parking as a use results in an eight-story wall of parking along Kapi‘olani Boulevard and undermines the urban design goals, including preservation of the historic buildings and corridor character.
HHF’s testimony emphasized that the Kenrock Buildings are significant historic properties that should be preserved. They are eligible for listing on the Hawai‘i and National Registers of Historic Places and are identified in the “Hawai‘i Modernism Context Study” (2011) as mid-century modern buildings with “high preservation value.” Significant elements include:
- Association with events that have made an important contribution to the broad patterns of our history: the Kenrock Buildings are directly associated with the post-World War II development of the Kapi‘olani Corridor into Honolulu’s “Miracle Mile” of commercial, retail and eating establishments.
- Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction and possess high artistic value: the Kenrock Buildings display a high level of design and integrity of materials and workmanship that represent the best of Honolulu’s mid-century modern commercial building type. Distinctive architectural features include such elements as flat roofs, thin, flat cantilevered concrete canopies or awnings; strong right angles and simple cubic forms.
- Represent the work of a master: the Kenrock Buildings were designed by the Honolulu architectural firm of Lemmon and Freeth (later Lemmon Freeth and Haines, then Architects Hawaii, now AHL), and constructed in three phases (1948, 1950 & 1959). As Hawaii’s first professional corporation, the architectural firm designed some of Honolulu’s most iconic mid-century modern buildings from their offices in the Kenrock Building between 1950 and 1962. The firm was part of the consortium (Belt, Lemmon & Lo), including John Carl Warnecke, that designed and oversaw the construction of the Hawai‘i State Capitol.
Despite this rich history and significant design, the proposed plan neglects to note any of the importance of the buildings or the adverse effect that would be caused by the proposed demolition.
HHF found that the proposed development fails to identify, protect and enhance significant historic landmarks, as required by the TOD development standards, by proposing to demolish these buildings. HHF also concluded that the building form and site plan of the proposed project violates mass, tower spacing, view channel and active street environment goals of the Ala Moana TOD Plan.
The proposed development is relying on various “community benefit incentives” to significantly increase the allowed Floor Area Ratio and height, bulk plane/building step-backs, and significantly decreasing the distance between the two towers.
HHF’s review of the proposals found that the proposed community benefits fail to justify the increased development; the proposal would instead impose significant adverse effect on historic properties and community character and does not adequately “meet community goals and mitigate development impacts” as required by the City’s ordinance.
HHF recommended that the proposed development be amended to:
- Retain the three historic Kenrock Buildings and incorporate them into the street level design
- Improve the street frontages, scale, massing, form and landscape design to be compatible and harmonious with the Kapi‘olani Boulevard corridor character, and
- That DPP and Council withhold approval of the proposal until and unless these concerns are adequately addressed.