Fort Street Mall rolling out welcome mat
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
After nearly a year in operation, the Fort Street Mall Business Improvement District is moving into a new phase of transforming the mall from dingy and neglected to clean and welcoming by holding shopping and cultural events to attract customers.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
An open market is held on the mall every Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in tiny Wilcox Park at King Street, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and plants, along with jewelry and handmade items. Every Tuesday a different band entertains shoppers.
The Fort Street Mall Business Improvement District is hoping open markets such as this one on Fort Street Mall will help attract customers. After a major city cleanup last year, the business district is in the process of transforming the mall.
"Since we started the open market, that area has really lightened up," said Chris Nakashima-Heise, president of the nonprofit business group. "The people that actually live and work in the area are beginning to use it again whereas they stayed away before."
Kelly Won works downtown and used to avoid the mall because of its reputation for crime. Now she shops at the open market twice a week.
"It seems like they have cleaned it up a lot and there is the presence of the policemen on bikes," Won said. "I'm not afraid to walk down the street now."
The Hawaii International Film Festival will hold its opening night celebration on the mall Oct. 30 with poster displays, international food booths, entertainment and prizes, and films being screened on building walls.
A Christmas fair is planned for Dec. 6 in conjunction with the annual Honolulu City Lights Parade. Businesses along the mall are being asked to decorate for the holidays and there will be an art and craft fair, strolling minstrels, a food drive, free gift wrapping and photos with Santa.
Nakashima-Heise said a plan to allow mall restaurants to place tables and chairs in front of their shops to allow customers to dine outdoors is moving through the City Council. She also wants to hold cultural events at least quarterly.
"We hope to do more of these kinds of partnerships with other organizations to benefit all of the people who work, live and use the mall," Nakashima-Heise said.
Victor Lim, who has owned the McDonald's Restaurant on the mall for 18 years, has several of the city's tables and chairs used for the Brunch on the Beach events set up outside his shop to see if customers like the idea.
"It gives a different ambience for the mall," Lim said. "If we do it correctly, we envision tables in front of most of the existing food outlets, giving a totally different look and feeling to the mall."
Lim said the goal is to lure people from their offices and down to the mall for lunch.
A bill to allow tables and chairs on the public mall will be discussed at 2:30 p.m. today in the Parks and Economic Development committee.
The mall is owned by the city and operated under rules similar to a public park — no drinking alcohol, and no animals, bicycling, camping, littering, skateboarding, vehicles or feeding the birds. The mall is closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
The mall is a public space, close to inexpensive food and many social services, all of which has for years been a draw for homeless people.
The city undertook a $100,000 cleanup of the pedestrian walkway in February last year, which included removing all public benches from the mall between Hotel and Beretania streets, an area often used by the homeless.
The city power-washed the area, improved the lighting and added landscaping and trash cans, but has never replaced the benches, drawing criticism from homeless providers and residents concerned about elderly shoppers. Public bathrooms were closed to prevent drug activity and vandalism.
The business district began operations in November last year, allowing the landowners to essentially tax themselves to improve the area in cooperation with the city. The association has an annual budget of about $380,000 to clean and beautify the mall while increasing security in hopes of drawing more customers.
Homeless providers say much of the homeless population has moved back to 'A'ala Park, although sections of the mall with the few remaining benches and planter boxes large enough to sit on are still used by the area's homeless.
Honolulu resident Georgette Canon said the restroom situation needs to be resolved before shoppers will return to the mall.
"I'd love to see downtown revitalized," Canon said. "I'd love to see Chinatown with lofts and art galleries and restaurants. I'd love to see Fort Street Mall improved. With (Hawai'i Pacific) University there is so much vitality to cap, but you need to provide for people's basic needs."
City Councilman Rod Tam said despite the drug use and vandalism, the city should provide restrooms on the mall just like any other park or beach park.
"Because there is scheduled cleaning at park restrooms, there is less drug activity," Tam said. "Drug dealers want to do it in secrecy. We are not providing a public service, and there will be more human waste in public places. It is really unsanitary."
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
