HistoricHawaii

Pacific Tsunami Museum Anchors Hilo Waterfront The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo has a refreshed outlook after a major project was completed in Spring 2023. “Restoration of the Pacific Tsunami Museum building generates community pride. Staff members, visitors, residents, and nearby business owners have positively commented on the building's improved overall look and condition,” wrote Joshua Bell, Associate Director. The signature building at 130 Kamehameha Avenue fronts Hilo Bay. It was designed by C.W. Dickey in 1930 as Bishop National Bank, later First Hawaiian Bank. The former bank building withstood the disastrous tsunami waves that hit Hilo in 1946 and 1960. Architectural historian Don Hibbard described the building as, “Hawaiian Classical Revival at its most commanding, this reinforced-concrete, former bank building is clad in cast stone, manufactured on-site by Mario Valdestri. Its Hawaiian interpretation of classical forms includes distinctive coconut husk column capitals. The wrought-iron grillework above the entrance reveals an Art Deco influence” (Buildings of Hawai‘i, 2011). On May 22, 1997, First Hawaiian Bank donated the building to serve as a permanent site for the museum. By June 1998, the Pacific Tsunami Museum was open to the public. The Museum operates with the mission that through education and awareness, no one should ever again die in Hawai‘i due to a tsunami. It provides residents and visitors to the State of Hawai‘i with tsunami education programs by showcasing a series of permanent exhibits that interpret tsunami phenomena, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, the history of tsunamis in the Pacific Basin, and public safety measures for tsunami disasters. “Efforts to restore and preserve the building are particularly important to the Pacific Tsunami Museum, as its historic exteriors lends to the museum’s mission of sharing of [...]

Historically significant Kū‘īlioloa Heiau located in the park’s Kāne‘īlio Point Re-published from the City and County of Honolulu Staff Reporter, Nate Serota. Following completion of renovations to security features and bathroom fixtures within the Pōka‘ī Bay Beach Park comfort station, the highly-utilized facility is now open to the public. The comfort station was closed at the end of February 2023 for the initial security improvement project. Completion of this project was delayed due to supply issues, and was followed by specialized maintenance staff with the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) renovating the inside of the bathrooms by: installing new fixtures, building new stall doors, masonry work to raise the height of the bathroom stalls, painting the floors, and providing the base coats for the community mural with paint donated by the Wai‘anae Moku Kūpuna Council. Once that work was finished, community members from the Council and Pu‘u Honua O Wai‘anae began repainting the murals adorning the bathroom’s interior. On the women’s side, flowers and birds (such as the ‘iwa and ‘ua‘u) will adorn the walls, while on the men’s side Maui’s hook and various island fish will be painted. The murals are expected to be completed in early September. In addition, in mid-August DPR began installation of signage indicating the site of the historically significant Kū‘īlioloa Heiau, located in Kāne‘īlio Point on the ‘Ewa-side of the nearly 15.5-acre beach park. The signage follows a long-standing community request and passing of Resolution 22-191, introduced by Councilmember Andria Tupola. This legislation affirms the name of the heiau, and requested the appropriate signage to indicate the cultural significance of the heiau, while encourage those visiting the site to respect the sacred location. Complementing this signage [...]