Posted on: Friday, January 14, 2005

Maui arts center may get to buy its home site after all

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

WAILUKU, Maui — The buyers of the historic home that houses the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center have agreed to allow Maui Land & Pineapple Co. to sell the property to the nonprofit arts group if the buyers can find an alternative property on Maui, Mayor Alan Arakawa said yesterday.

Arakawa said ML&P and other parties involved agreed to help Janet Zand and Michael Marcus find another property as their home, Arakawa said.

"Wonderful," said John Lofgren, executive director of Hui No'eau. "The board is very much united in wanting to buy the property. We are extraordinarily excited about that possibility."

At the urging of ML&P CEO David Cole, Hui No'eau on Tuesday executed a backup agreement for the Kaluanui property and the adjoining 14 acres, according to the mayor.

Arakawa said he held a series of meetings with Zand and Marcus and their representatives, Cole, and representatives of the hui over the past week to try to come up with a compromise to a sale that has riled the Maui arts community.