ADVOCACY ALERT! City Releases Natatorium Environmental Statement for Public Comment

Provide Public Comment Supporting Preservation-Friendly Alternative for Natatorium until December 24

The City and County of Honolulu has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) favoring a combination of retaining the shore-based war memorial with a rehabilitated swim basin with perimeter wall as the preferred alternative for the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium. The DEIS is available in the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s online library of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. Click here to download the DEIS.

The purpose of the EIS is to assess and recommend projects to renew the memorial and re-establish full public access to this area of Kapi‘olani Park. The DEIS examined four Alternatives (scroll to the bottom to view the 3 action alternatives):

Perimeter Deck (Preferred)
War Memorial Beach
Closed System Pool
No Action

The Perimeter Deck alternative outperformed the other options across all measures, including cost of construction, cost of operations, environmental effects and historic preservation.

The Perimeter Deck estimated capital costs are $25.6 million, compared to $28.8 million for the beach-construction alternative and $42.7 million for building a closed pool system.

“The proposed solution for the issues around the Natatorium is elegant and showcases a reasonable balance between preserving the past and addressing feasibility,” said Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

“This outcome showcases that great results can occur when stakeholders meet in good faith and explore solutions together,” Faulkner said. “We support the Perimeter Deck alternative and look forward to seeing it complete the environmental review and move towards implementation.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

ACT TODAY!

PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment on the DEIS (written or via email) will be accepted until December 24.

To send comments VIA EMAIL: Send to WWMCNatatorium@aecom.com

To send comments VIA MAIL: Click here for instructions.

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation strongly supports the Preferred Alternative, which addresses the need to improve safety, restore public access, limit environmental effects, honor the legacy of veterans and the history of World War I, and comply with historic preservation standards.

Read HHF’s comments here.

FORWARD THE POST

Encourage other individuals, groups and businesses who care about restoring the Natatorium to submit comments. Forward this POST TO:

Community members
Veterans groups
Business owners
Architects
Planners
Chambers of Commerce
Friends and family

Click above to watch PBS Hawaii’s “Insights” which aired December 6, 2018. It’s an hour long discussion about the City & County of Honolulu’s draft EIS and the favored alternative.

See the comparison of the 3 action alternatives here.

The National Trust designated the Natatorium a National Treasure in 2014, acknowledging its layers of significance as a living memorial, hub of water recreation, and architectural treasure. The National Trust has worked in the years since with our partners, the Friends of the Natatorium, Historic Hawai’i Foundation, and the World War I Centennial Commission, to advocate for the restoration and reuse of the memorial. The National Trust release this statement today, November 13, 2018:

The following is a statement by David J. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Preservation Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, on the city’s announcement:

“We applaud Honolulu’s exciting commitment to rehabilitate the War Memorial Natatorium, an icon in the Waikiki community and a National Treasure. As we celebrate the centennial of the close of World War I, this revised approach is a superb way of honoring the veterans who fought and died in that conflict, and for whose memory the Natatorium was originally created to pay tribute. By moving in the direction of preservation and rehabilitation for this gorgeous local landmark, Honolulu is ensuring that the sacrifices of Hawaii citizens are not forgotten in future generations.

“In addition to protecting a treasured historic place, the city’s plan is fiscally prudent, as a new evaluation found that rehabilitation would cost less than demolition. In modifying its plan, the city has shown recognition that the Natatorium is an integral part of Hawaii’s historic and cultural heritage.

“We strongly support this new vision for a revived War Memorial Natatorium and want to commend the city and municipal leadership for rethinking their approach. We stand ready to help put this preservation approach into action in any way we can.”

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WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium opened in 1927 as a “living memorial” to those who served in World War I from Hawai‘i. The structure is significant for its long history as a swimming venue and its association with legendary watermen Duke Kahanamoku, Buster Crabbe and Jonny Weismuller. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for both its historic and architectural significance. It has been closed since 1979.

The purpose of the EIS is to recommend projects to renew the memorial and re-establish full public access to this area of Kapi‘olani Park.

BACKGROUND

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation submitted written comments during the pre-EIS scoping period that said the original range of alternatives was too narrow and did not include an option for rehabilitation of the historic structure. A new alternative, the “Perimeter Deck” option, endorsed by Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, helped meet the need for a fuller range of alternatives. The need for a fuller range of options was also required by the State Historic Preservation Division in order to comply with the State’s historic preservation law, HRS 6E.

In December of 2017 the City and County of Honolulu announced it was prepared to evaluated alternatives for the future of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium. Read more.