MostEndangered2010

UPDATE: 2013 Articel Written By: Victoria Wiseman, HONOLULU Magazine It’s mixed news for the old Honolulu Advertiser building. A year ago, the 1929 Beaux Arts-style structure was purchased by Honolulu- based developer Downtown Capital and is now being converted into workforce housing. The back portion, where the printing press and warehouse were located, has already been torn down and converted into a high-rise. The old editorial office building is on the block for phase two of the project. The builder will retain the historically significant features of the news building, which include the front façade facing Kapi‘olani Boulevard as well as the lobby and the stairway, but the rest will be demolished and replaced with a 46 story tower and parking structure. Although some history will be saved, it’s not much of a win for preservation. “The entire building tells the entire story. When you start only saving the front façade, you’re ignoring the whole story,” says Faulkner. UPDATE: 2012 According to the Star-Advertiser, the Hawaii Five-O TV series uses the site for offices and filming. A local affordable housing developer has arranged to buy the former Honolulu Advertiser building in Kakaako, and envisions building two towers of affordable condominiums on the site while preserving the historic News Building. The plan by Marshall Hung and partner Tradewind Capital Group Inc. is the latest in a string of development efforts for the property. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Honolulu Advertiser, Hawai‘i’s oldest continuously published newspaper until this year, when it merged with The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, moved to 605 Kapi‘olani Blvd. in 1930. Architects Walter Emory and Marshall Webb designed the three-story, Beaux Arts-style building, which was home to the newspaper’s news, advertising and administrative offices. On both the National and State Registers of Historic [...]

UPDATE: 2012 – A WORK IN PROGRESS Article Written By: Kathryn Drury Wagner, HONOLULU Magazine When listed on the Most Endangered List in 2010, renovation of the state-owned, mid-century building had stalled. It’s moving forward again, one of the five projects identified in a May 2012 directive issued by Gov. Neil Abercrombie involving Project Labor Agreements [this regards unions] for state construction projects. It gave the project estimate at $32.9 million; the plan includes major renovation of the existing building, asbestos removal and infrastructure work, including electrical and plumbing repairs. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? In 1968, the state purchased this 53-year-old building located at the intersection of King and Richards Streets from the Hawaiian Trust Co. for $2.5 million. It housed the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs until 2003, when the building was closed for renovation due to various safety issues, asbestos among them. What threatens it? When the state closed Kamāmalu for repairs, the plan was to have the building open and operational again within a few years, but the renovation costs kept mounting—in 2007, the cost estimate was $27 million. “As we went along, the costs to refurbish kept going up and up,” says state comptroller Russ Saito. “Thus far, we’ve taken care of the health and safety issues. It’s a shell, but it’s safe for now. But to go beyond the work we've done so far, the costs would be too high to be recovered in any reasonable economic interval.” The alternative to letting it sit around collecting dust is to have someone purchase the property, level the building and start from scratch. It’s a win-lose situation: A sale would [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo UPDATE: 2011 The DOE closed the school and stated that the facility would be re-purposed for DOE personnel. What is it? Lili‘uokalani Elementary in Kaimukī opened in 1912 and was personally dedicated by its namesake, Queen Lydia Lili‘uokalani. While the original administration building was torn down years ago, its cornerstone still exists, and is now located in the corner by the basketball court. The current administration and classroom buildings were all built within the last 50 years, says principal Dr. Raelene Chock. The school has about 130 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What threatens it? In August, the Department of Education (DOE) released its consolidation study for the Kalani complex, which includes the Lili‘uokalani, Kāhala, Liholiho, Wai‘alae, Waikīkī, and Wilson schools. The study examined the benefits and drawbacks of shuttering Lili‘uokalani, noting that the savings from the school’s closure would be about $370,000, and that, with the exception of Wilson Elementary, all of the schools in the complex were under capacity (Lili‘uokalani was 115 students below capacity). As we went to print, the Board of Education (BOE) was reviewing the DOE’s report, and a public hearing was tentatively planned for the end of October. Should the BOE vote in favor of consolidation, Lili‘uokalani’s students would likely be divided up between Liholiho and Wai‘alae schools. “In every community the neighborhood school is a special place for its people,” says Chock, “and the prospect of consolidating Lili‘uokalani Elementary School is emotional and even painful for many whose lives have been touched by the school.” According to the BOE, the City and County of Honolulu owns the property and, should [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo UPDATE: 2011 The Waikalua Loko Fishpond Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization, that has managed the pond since 1995 received a Preservation Commendation Award at the 2011 Preservation Honor Awards for their preservation and cultural education efforts. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2010 Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Waikalua Loko is one of the few remaining intact ancient Hawaiian fishponds in the state. Located in Kāne‘ohe Bay, the approximately 400-year-old fishpond exemplifies the ancient Hawaiians’ skillful management of natural resources. The Waikalua Loko Fishpond Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization, has managed the pond since 1995, working to eradicate invasive mangrove and maintain the pond’s kuapā (wall) and mākāhā (gates), work done strictly by volunteers. “Since we began,” says Herb Lee, executive director of the Pacific American Foundation (PAF) and one of the founders of the preservation society, “we’ve had tens of thousands of people come down to help.” What threatens it? The fishpond is located on property that is part of the Bay View Golf Course, which recently went into foreclosure. “The cultural, educational and restoration activities are threatened by the uncertain priorities of new landowners who may prefer to develop the property rather than restore a fishpond,” says Hal Hammatt, the president and principal investigator for Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i. Then there’s the small matter of the proposed Kāne‘ohe sewer upgrades project. “The fishpond itself will not be impacted by this project,” says Department of Environmental Services director Tim Steinberger. “Parking associated with the fishpond, however, will be impacted during construction. The city will be working with various community organizations during preparation of the draft EIS to address the parking issue, and is already working with stakeholder [...]