EDITORIAL
Don't lose creative vision for Block J
It wouldn't have been our first choice for the woefully underused Block J in Honolulu's historic Kukui redevelopment district. Nonetheless, a car dealership is going in.
The City Council has given the OK for Pflueger Honda to purchase a 2.4-acre lot at Beretania Street and the Pali Highway, which has been used as a parking lot for more than 30 years.
Some council members have conceded the $10.5 million deal has been handled somewhat like a "shotgun wedding." Still, the money has been figured in to the city's annual budget, and so rejecting the sale would leave the city in a bit of a hole.
Given that reality, we hope that Pflueger Honda is serious about creating a mixed-used development that includes housing and commercial space.
The area was part of an urban-renewal project that dates back to the 1960s. Hundreds of business owners and residents had to move to make room for the redevelopment.
And many who had hoped to move back gave up as the development became plagued with delays and broken promises.
During a meeting with The Advertiser's editorial board this week, Alan Pflueger, manager of Pflueger Group and president of Pflueger Hawai'i, said he views the property as a "blank canvas" on which he can build a legacy in Honolulu.
He said he envisions a cafe, art space and other attractions that would offer more than just automobiles. And we wholeheartedly encourage any urban planning vision that will draw more folks and energy downtown.
That said, there's no guarantee that Block J will see anything more than a car dealership and a parking lot. While Pflueger is being asked to consider housing, it's not obligated to build it. And that casts a shadow of uncertainty over the future of Block J.
At Wednesday's meeting on whether to approve the deal, Councilwoman Barbara Marshall, the only dissenting vote, said, "I think we are giving up too much for too little."
That depends on what happens and what actually goes on the parcel. It is critical that this keystone piece of land at one of the gateways to downtown Honolulu can be more than another car dealership, no matter how attractive.
