2016-07-29 BDHRA Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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KANUHA: So the key here is to create a master plan which has enough balance that there’s some incentive for the Agency and some incentive for the private parties to actually participate in something that works out to the benefit of everybody without having to take those additional steps. DELIMA: So like for example HELCO, maybe we need to work with the State in terms of trading or‒‒because the State has more land than the County. KANUHA: HELCO is receptive to some concept of repurposing. And that’s why when they look at this plan, you know, I think they can see there may be some benefit here. And it’s correct; the plant itself is actually off-line. It basically just provides supplemental services for Banyan Drive, is what it does. So that’s a possibility there. We’ve had discussions with them on that. DELIMA: Okay, any further questions, comments? Mr. Taniguchi. TANIGUCHI: Clarification question. You know that commercial property along Banyan, cutting over to Kamehameha or Kalaniana‘ole, yeah that area, is that all State land or is that lease land or is that privately owned? KANUHA: There’s a privately owned parcel over here, the rest of it is State. Just the corner, the warehouse. DELIMA: Any further comments? ZANE: I like the direction that we’re going in, but at the same time I really question what is the master plan? You know, are we able to really create a commercial viable district here and invite that kind of return in all what we do, or is it possible that we create something for our community? Here we have a‒‒we stand at a crossroad that really we can invest totally in our community and give back something. Because if you look at all of the other islands where they’ve sold out all the best places and there’s no return on that. We have an opportunity here, I think that we can really develop something for all the future generations and really, the hotels‒‒yes, we see that some are here and we have private lands here and we have to acknowledge that, but there’s many other places, I think, in Hilo that we can invite our guests to stay and enjoy our place. But for our own community, lucky‒‒well I can’t say lucky, but it’s a blessing in disguise that we have all of the Bayfront areas open because of what the tsunami did. But that’s a resource that very few people have and we are very fortunate. And here we stand at this crossroad that we can make that kind of judgement right now. But as Banyan Drive stands, I think that in this conceptual plan, I don’t see a sense of arrival. I think that if we’re going to create a destination, whether it be for the community or it’s going to be a viable commercial district, we need an actual entry that people drive through and go ‘Okay, I’m here.’ You know, and maybe the existing roadways in cannot do that, if for example, if we’re going to call this Banyan Drive you know there’s a beautiful Banyan tree right across of Coqui Page 14 of 20 Banyan Drive Hawai‘i Redevelopment Agency July 28, 2016 Minutes