Posted on: Friday, October 11, 2002

Group aims to save Japanese center

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Several members of the Japanese Cultural Center have formed a committee in an attempt to stop the sale of the Mo'ili'ili facility.

The center's board has agreed to sell the 11-year-old center to allow the nonprofit organization to pay a $9 million debt and avoid foreclosure.

Many of the center's members have heard that a sale has been reached with an undisclosed buyer, but none of the board members would confirm this, said member Warren Iwasa.

Center president Susan Kodani and board chairman Donn Takaki could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Iwasa said a growing number of members want to preserve the cultural center and hope to convince the board to not sell the building. A special committee has been formed to fight the sale and will present its arguments at a meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow in the center's courtyard.

"The center is about to be sold, but some members of the center think that a greater effort should be made to rescuing it," Iwasa said. He said the committee is forming a plan to save the center, "but basically the first step is to make sure that it doesn't get sold because a sale would be irrevocable."

Iwasa said any sale would have to be ratified by the center's membership at a special meeting tentatively set for Oct. 18.

The South Beretania Street center has two towers, once of which is office space.