Posted on: Tuesday, December 23, 2003

EDITORIAL
In Kaka'ako, trick is to do it the right way

Gov. Linda Lingle was spot on in her comments recently that it is time to "pick up the pace" of redevelopment and growth in Kaka'ako, Honolulu's least developed urban neighborhood.

But the issue truly is not whether to get Kaka'ako done, but whether we can get it done right. That is the tricky part.

In 1976, the state set up a special super-agency that seized development authority in Kaka'ako from the city. Since that time, millions have been poured into basic infrastructure improvements including sewers, street widening and realignment and other improvements.

Along the way, both public and private interests have added to Kaka'ako's allure, including the Ward complex of theaters and shops and the new University of Hawai'i medical complex, now under construction.

But it has, as Lingle noted, been slow going. Original intentions for Kaka'ako have changed many times, from low-to-moderate housing, to high-end housing, to commercial, industrial and back again.

Throughout, what has been missing is a unified vision for Kaka'ako, which has the potential of being an urban, harborfront jewel that could be the envy of oceanside cities around the Pacific.

There is a danger that by doing things incrementally — a project here, a project there — Kaka'ako will end up developed in a way that is nice but nothing special.

That's why Lingle's admonition to "pick up the pace" carries a danger with it. It is not enough to simply complete the job. The challenge will be to complete the transformation of Kaka'ako in a way that literally draws gasps of wonder.

It means protecting access to the harbor and oceanfront. It means guaranteeing expansive areas of green space and parkland. It means, as Lingle noted, a strong residential component so there are people in Kaka'ako 24 hours a day.

And it should include a signature architectural element in the heart of Kaka'ako, a symphony hall, ocean center or other facility that will come to symbolize urban Honolulu to the rest of the world. San Francisco has its bridges, Sydney its opera house, Vancouver and Hong Kong their mountains and harbors.

Honolulu can match, or even exceed these Pacific neighbors if we allow our thinking to soar and our ambitions to know no bounds.