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Banyan Drive area. So for me it is a more of a phased approach rather than a comprehensive
<br /> overall master plan, it would be more like a piecemeal approach to kind of get the ball rolling
<br /> and incentivize commercial with the revenues that would be generated, which would also help
<br /> with the infrastructure improvements by way of sewer or water or road improvements. We also
<br /> have the mass transit master plan. We can start identifying areas for busses or pick up and drop
<br /> offs along that area and build that into the redevelopment piece. Not only from people utilizing
<br /> the area, but for our cruise ships or other resort connectivity between the airport or just in
<br /> general, an overall transportation plan. I do believe that the redevelopment agency should
<br /> continue and become an essential part of that and be given some teeth. Mr. Tsuji touched upon it
<br /> a little bit with like the Kaka`ako providing the opportunities to address like SMAs or giving the
<br /> agency some latitude on addressing those other regulatory permits that go with it. I think, again,
<br /> there's huge opportunities by allowing the agency to have that. That all in turn provides a lot
<br /> more home rule for us here in Hawaii County and creates a in—but I hope to be a better
<br /> partnership, not only between the County and the State, but public private partnerships so that
<br /> it's not all being funded by the State, by the County, but more of a collaborative public-private
<br /> partnership being incentivized with special regulatory powers. So I hope that answers pretty
<br /> much those last three questions on how I'd like to see that area move forward. For me, I always
<br /> ask myself, "How do you eat an elephant?" and it's one bite at a time, but we gotta take a bite
<br /> that's going to generate revenues, be incentivized, and work, so that we can have more
<br /> momentum going forward to take on bigger pieces. That's my input.
<br /> Suzanne Case joined the meeting at 2:45 p.m.
<br /> DELIMA: Thank you. I want to recognize that DLNR Chair, Suzanne Case, has joined us.
<br /> Appreciate you coming today, as much as the land is the State's land and we appreciate the
<br /> opportunity that the State had in recognizing that the Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment
<br /> Agency was a mechanism that we have been able to facilitate the revitalization of that area. And
<br /> I know Mr. Tsuji commented earlier on some of the interim steps that have been taken by the
<br /> Board in allowing the safety concerns for Uncle Billy's to be closed down, the initiatives that
<br /> have been started to determine interest in developing that parcel as perhaps, perhaps including
<br /> the Country Club parcel, and perhaps you might wanna comment on how the Agency can
<br /> facilitate that becoming a reality, if you don't mind taking the mic.
<br /> CASE: Sure. Aloha everyone. Yeah we, we want to work closely with the County. We've said
<br /> that repeatedly all along. We have a MOU with you folks to recognize this group as the, as the
<br /> mechanism; however you want to take it, in terms of master planning the area. I very much
<br /> believe, being a Hilo girl that folks from Hilo have the best idea about what to do about this, this
<br /> gem. Meanwhile, we have been taking bites out of the elephant. So that Naniloa's in pretty,
<br /> pretty good shape right now. The Uncle Billy's is shut down; we're working on a Request For
<br /> Interest. Country Club is gonna to have to be dealt with along the same lines. I mean, personally
<br /> I think we should just go ahead, try to get, see if there's private interest in doing that tear-down
<br /> and rebuild, and if there isn't then it's gonna be a big public responsibility to do that. It's gonna
<br /> be expensive, but you might as well, you know, start biting away at that elephant too. Because
<br /> that's—Uncle Billy's gotta come down, Country Club will be in the same shape pretty soon, and
<br /> those will open up opportunities, but ideally, you would have, you would have a developer that
<br /> wants to redevelop that site. And then meanwhile, you folks can continue with your envisioning
<br /> and whether you go through some kind of master planning process or what, and we're here to
<br /> support, you know, your vision.
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<br /> Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Agency
<br /> October 25,2017 Minutes
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