MostEndangered2009

Photos: Courtesy of honolulutransit.org Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The 20-mile elevated rail line will connect West O‘ahu with downtown Honolulu and Ala Moana Center once it’s completed in 2019. The Historic Hawai‘i Foundation (HHF) has identified 33 historic sites between ‘Ewa and Kaka‘ako that will be impacted, with potential outcomes ranging from demolition to being transformed into a rail station. These sites include the Aloha Chapel, designed by renowned architect Vladimir Ossipoff; CINCPAC, the headquarters for the Commander in Chief, Pacific Command; and the Dillingham Transportation Building.   What Threatens It? Given the scale of the project, Honolulu’s rail transit system will profoundly alter the face of the communities through which it passes. “Although the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation supports improved transportation options for Honolulu,” says executive director Kiersten Faulkner, “we remain concerned that the proposed system will have negative impacts on dozens of historic sites along the route. The adverse effects on over 30 historic properties, including at least three historic districts, will fundamentally change the cultural landscape of O‘ahu and forever diminish the civic experience in Honolulu’s historic areas.” In its defense, the Department of Transportation Services issued the following statement: “Various alternatives were considered before the selection was made of the currently proposed system and alignment. One of the considerations used in the evaluation of the alignments was impacts to environmental resources, such as historic resources.” What can be done? According to the DTS, “an agreement to minimize or mitigate the project’s adverse impact on the above historic resources is presently being developed.” Of the 33 identified historic sites, the rapid transit project will affect only the Afuso House, Higa Fourplex, Teixeira House, Lava Rock Curbs, Kapalama Canal [...]

UPDATE: SAVED IN 2013 Repairs to reverse wood rot and termite damage at the historic Ft. Ruger chapel have been completed by Kapi‘olani Community College. The work was funded by a $575,000 capital improvement project appropriation from the state legislature in 2010 for interior repairs, maintenance, refurbishment work, new paint and a new roof for the chapel. The white chapel located on the Diamond Head side of the Kapi‘olani Community College (KCC) campus has always stood out from KCC’s low-lying, 1980s architecture. Built in 1925, the chapel hosted church services for the Fort Ruger military community, O‘ahu’s earliest U.S. Army coastal defense fortification, established in 1909. The Friends of the Chapel worked with KCC and state officials, especially then-Representative Barbara Marumoto, to secure the funding and see the project to its successful outcome. UPDATE: 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine Good things come to those who wait, and it seems that the chapel, which is still being used for classes and other activities, might finally get some much needed TLC. Recent legislation (House Bill No. 2303) appropriated $575,000 for interior repairs, maintenance, refurbishment work, new paint and a new roof for the chapel. The bill took effect in July, and the funds released. Additionally, KCC recently presented its long-range plan to the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents. “The chapel was identified as one of the most cherished places on the campus,” says Carol Hoshiko, the dean for Culinary, Hospitality and College Advancement. “In addition to the chapel, it was proposed that there be an auxiliary building [built] next to the chapel for joint use for the community and the campus.” The development plan was “approved in principle” by the board, meaning that, [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Built in the early 20th century, these four residences located on Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa are some of the few remaining plantation-style homes along the historic town’s main thoroughfare. “This property represents a piece of Old Hawaii plantation architecture, and part of that adds to Haleiwa’s charm,” says Antya Miller, a member of the North Shore Neighborhood Board. What threatens it? Owner Scott Wallace, who purchased the houses a couple of years ago, hired Plan Pacific, a Honolulu-based planning firm, to assess the physical condition of the homes for historic preservation or adaptive reuse, and to then devise a plan and request the necessary zoning change from a residential to a business district. Plan Pacific’s assessment was not in favor of historic preservation. “It would cost a lot [to preserve them],” says Plan Pacific president John Whalen. "The problem was for years the houses weren't well-maintained. They were in a cosmetic way, they looked OK, but some big issues weren't addressed. There are cesspool problems, termite damage, basic plumbing and electrical problems. They're still habitable, but they're reaching a point where they're not going to be." Plan Pacific has devised a plan for a single-story commercial building fronting Kamehameha Highway and three live-work units placed behind it. Because the property is located within the Hale‘iwa Special District, both the live/work units and the commercial building will have to adhere to the district’s strict design guidelines. While that’s all fine and good, says Miller, she doesn’t believe that the original charm and character of the houses could ever be replicated. “The primary reason that most of us want that property preserved [...]

Photos: Courtesy of David Croxford Update: 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine According to Janice Okubo, a spokesperson for the Hawai‘i state Department of Health, the 12 support buildings built between 1936 and 1954 at Waimano Ridge, formerly Waimano Training School and Hospital, are set to be demolished. At press time, a contract had been awarded for the demolition of the structures and work was expected to begin within a few months. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2009 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Located on approximately 265 acres of land above Pearl City residential neighborhoods, Waimano Ridge was home to the Waimano Training School and Hospital (WTSH), an institutional incarceration facility for people with developmental disabilities. Established in 1919, the hospital, which was originally known as the Waimano Home for the Feebleminded, was shuttered in 1999 following years of rumors about dingy conditions and questionable patient treatment. Today, Waimano Ridge is a medical facility in transition. It currently hosts a number of state organizations and programs: The old Waimano Training School and Hospital was renovated and is being used by the Department of Public Safety. Other buildings house Department of Health (DOH) offices, the DOH Laboratory facility, Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant offices and a juvenile sex offender program. “[Waimano Ridge] is definitely being used, which is appropriate given our terrible economic situation,” says DOH director Dr. Chiyome Fukino. What threatens it? Following the hospital’s closure, its support buildings, the oldest of which were built in the mid-1930s, and the newest of which, Hale Aloha, was built in 1977, languished into disrepair until the Department of Health decided to transform Waimano Ridge into a modern medical community. Bringing the site up to code, however, has required significant updating. [...]