MES Oahu

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 [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Marine Corps Base Hawaii Article Written By: Kathryn Drury Wagner, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Marine Corps base (MCB) Hawai‘i is home to several hundred historic properties, including three on the 2012 list. They include the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters buildings, built in 1940, and a Marine Air Group Headquarters Building, constructed in 1941. There is also World War II damage to some of the base’s taxiways: bomb craters and possible strafing marks that are apparent damage from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. The two bomb craters are large, 7 to 11 feet in diameter, says MCB Hawai‘i’s June Cleghorn, senior cultural resources manager in the Environmental Compliance and Protection Department, while smaller pockmarks probably came from the bullets. The holes have been filled with concrete, but the outlines of their original shapes and locations are visible. What threatens them? Base Hawai‘i is expanding, welcoming up two squadrons of MV-22 Osprey aircraft and one Marine Light Attack Helicopter squadron, starting in 2012 and continuing into 2018. Along with the space needed for the aircraft, the base will also need to reconfigure for 2,128 more personnel and dependents. According to Cleghorn, demolition is planned for no more than six of the 11 total World-War-II-era BEQs and the MAG building. Resurfacing of the taxiways is also planned. What can be done? After a two-year review process involving more than 40 consulting parties, the BEQs and MAG building demolitions sound like a done deal.(Though it may not console World-War-II history buffs, the new barracks construction will feature LEED certification standards, including sustainable site development and water and energy efficiency.) The bomb and bullet marks on the ground may be saved. Cleghorn says the Corps recognizes their [...]

Opened in 1927, the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium was built to honor the men and women of Hawaii who served during the "Great War." Learn more about this historic place and the world-wide community supporting its restoration below. Historic Hawaii Foundation's Position HHF supports the stabilization, preservation and rehabilitation of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium. HHF recommends that the immediate strengthening, repair and stabilization of the structure’s frame be completed per the plans that were halted in 2005, including the sea walls and deck. HHF recommends, in conjunction with resuming the work to stabilize the structure, that engineering, planning and permitting be undertaken for the re-design of the pool. HHF recommends that the City engage in dialogue with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, business organizations and other stakeholders to craft a public-private partnership for the long-term rehabilitation, maintenance and operation of the facility. UPDATE: 2014 NATATORIUM NAMED A "NATIONAL TREASURE" BY NATIONAL TRUST At the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we work to preserve and protect landscapes, buildings, and neighborhoods that have played a meaningful role in our past. We want future generations to be able to experience and discover their own connections to these places as well. We have several programs focused entirely on identifying endangered historic places and taking action to save them. National Treasures. Irreplaceable historic places across the country -- from beloved local schoolhouses to well-known monuments -- illustrate the American story in all its richness. We are building a portfolio of endangered National Treasures, and raising needed funds, creating coalitions of advocates, and fighting in the courts to protect them. http://natatorium.org/natatorium-national-treasure/ http://www.savingplaces.org/what-are-national-treasures UPDATE: 2012 – DON’T GET US STARTED The Natatorium - managed by the City and County of [...]