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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Work begins at Oahu's Thomas Square

Photo galleryPhoto gallery: Thomas Square renovations
Video: City renovates Thomas Square

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Randi Magnuson sits outside Thomas Square, where he has been living off and on for seven years. With a city cleanup under way, he had to leave the park yesterday.

DEBORAH BOOKER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Renovations at Thomas Square got under way yesterday with city workers and contractors repairing structures and sprucing up the grounds.

The city closed the park for the project, which is expected to take five days and which left about 25 homeless people scrambling to find a new place to sleep.

Randi Magnuson, who has lived in the park off and on for seven years, said he thought he had more time to get out. By late morning he was outside the park packing up a dolly with his few possessions. Magnuson, who said he just had a hip operation, was walking with crutches.

He welcomed the renovation and understands why the city wouldn't want homeless people there anymore.

"I don't blame them for what they're doing," he said. "Some of these people come in here and set up a virtual condominium."

But moving will be difficult, Magnuson said, because friends are there, the location is close to restaurants, courtesy telephones and the hospital, and service providers come regularly to feed people and check up on them.

He said that because he is unable to work he would continue hanging out at the park during the day and seek shelter elsewhere at night.

When the park reopens after refurbishing, it will have a new schedule. It will be closed nightly, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A BROADER EFFORT

The work at Thomas Square is part of a broader city effort to reclaim parks from the homeless who camp in them. The parks cleanup campaign began in March 2006 at Ala Moana Beach Park.

Similar cleanups have also been done at parks along the Wai'anae Coast.

Advocates for the homeless have criticized the city policy, while others have applauded it.

About 12 city workers arrived at the park yesterday morning and removed fixtures from the restroom. Painters were patching decaying wood and planned to paint later.

Groundskeepers spread dirt on low spots, and a tree-trimming company pruned trees. The fountain was also expected to be renovated and operating by the end of the week, according to one city worker.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.