Downtown park yet to open

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

Downtown residents have spent the summer waiting for the grass to grow at Smith-Beretania Park so they can finally use a facility that was promised more than 20 years ago.

The city's new Smith-Beretania Park in downtown Honolulu is slated to open at the end of this month, after two delays. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

But since the park was completed in May, the opening has been delayed twice, with the end of this month now the latest projection. Officials say the problem is getting the grass to take.

The delays have frustrated Downtown Neighborhood Board member Dolores Mollring because it means she has to walk her 5-year-old grandson to Beretania Community Park four blocks away while the new park sits empty.

"By the time we play down there and walk home he is exhausted," Mollring said. "That is a long walk for him. Smith-Beretania Park is badly needed by the 6,000 residents in the immediate area, and there are a lot of tutus that take care of their grandchildren here."

Ben Lee, city managing director, said the grass needs to grow sufficiently before opening the park.

"This happens all the time," Lee said. "People feel the park is ready to open as the grass is coming in, but they don't realize that 90-plus days are needed for the grass to take hold."

The delays are the latest in a string of setbacks that have kept downtown residents from having a neighborhood park of their own.

The city agreed to build the park in 1981 as part of an agreement with Charles A. Pankow Development Corp., which developed Honolulu Tower. The developer also got approval to build another condominium, Honolulu Park Place. In exchange, Pankow agreed to pay the city $6 million toward public underground parking, a park and community center across from Honolulu Tower.

For years nothing happened despite residents' demands, and the city spent the money on other projects.

Then in September 2001, the city broke ground for the $7.6 million park, which includes an underground parking lot to replace the parking spaces that previously occupied the 1.35-acre parcel. Human remains were found during construction, which slowed work while the bones were removed.

In May, the contractor finished most of the work and the crews pulled out, leaving only details to be completed and an eerie quiet in a neighborhood that had grown used to road closures, heavy equipment and traffic jams during the nearly two years of construction.

The parking garage opened June 19, about a month later than expected.

City officials said the park would open in July. That was postponed to August, and now the park is expected to open by the end of the month.

"We are waiting for the grass to get to 95 percent coverage," said Carol Costa, a city spokeswoman. "Then there will be an inspection and if all goes well the park will be accepted and open later this month. The exact date has not yet been set until the inspection."

Lynn Matusow, the downtown board chairwoman, agreed it is frustrating to see the park sit empty all summer, but said it is best to get it right before the city accepts the park from the contractor as completed.

"Once it is turned over, I don't know how long they can go back to them for redress," Matusow said. "We had a problem at 'A'ala Park and some of the other parks. They were finished but there were problems and people couldn't use them. I'd rather we don't keep running into a problem."

But Mollring said that even when the gates finally open, the park will not really be finished because the benches and children's play apparatus have not been installed.

Five benches will be installed soon, Costa said, but the $100,000 for the play apparatus and its installation will be paid for under a separate fiscal year 2004 capital improvement project.

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.