Waikiki Wiki-Wiki Wire
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Volume VII, No. 47 Waikiki Improvement Association Nov 23, 2006 — Nov 30, 2006 Waikiki Wiki-Wiki Wire Happy Thanksgiving! Mayor Announces Tesoro Will Sponsor Sunset on the Beach Through 2007 Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced that Tesoro Hawaii has signed on to be the presenting sponsor for the popular Sunset on the Beach events from January through December of 2007. In addition, Tesoro Hawaii will be the presenting sponsor of five community Rediscover Oahu events in 2007. “Public-private partnerships have been a hallmark of our administration,” said the mayor. “We are pleased that Tesoro has stepped forward to help the Waikiki Improvement Association carry this popular program forward. With this generous sponsorship, Tesoro Hawaii is showing its willingness to be a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor by investing in the community. Tesoro Hawaii will provide $65,000 that will enable the Waikiki Improvement Association to Joining the mayor in the announcement were continue offering Sunset on the Beach one Tesoro Hawaii’s Production Manager Chuck weekend a month for the next year. Snyder, WIA President Rick Egged and WIA events coordinator Janet Maduli. “Meeting the state’s demand for refined petroleum energy products is important to us, and we feel it’s equally as important to meet other needs in our community as well.” Snyder said. “We’re always looking for ways to support initiatives With sadness and heartfelt condolences to that are important to Hawaii’s people. Partnering the Kosasa family, WIA recognizes the with the City, the Waikiki Improvement Association, passing of one of Waikiki’s innovators, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and other Sydney Kosasa, founder of ABS Stores. Continued on page 2 Inside this issue: Allure Waikiki Condo Coming to Old Wave Waikiki Site 2 Sheraton Waikiki’s Ho`omaka Hou 2007 Concert 6 Surf Forecasts Point to Improved Conditions for Waikiki Pointer Sisters at HHV New Year’s Eve Extravaganza 7 3 Sand Pumping Project Fine Arts Exhibit at 2100 Kalakaua 8 Crack Found in Beachwalk Force Main; Sewage Diverted 4 Takeuchi Named GM at W Honolulu at Diamond Head 9 Aqua Hotels & Resorts Reaffirms Brand after Completing 5 $26 Million in Renovations Marriot Assists Donations to Charities 9 Mayor Announces Tesoro Will Sponsor Sunset on the Beach Through 2007 (continued from page 1) organizations as a sponsor of Sunset on the Beach Sunset on the Beach usually draws thousands of is one of those initiatives. We’re planning to take people. Sunset on the Beach to a new, exciting level to Sunset on the Beach, Rediscover Oahu and the benefit both local residents and visitors to our related, daytime Brunch on the Beach, were begun Islands.” years ago as City functions. City crews did all of the Egged said, “This guarantees we will continue at setup and the City paid for a lion’s share of the least through December of 2007. This is very costs. exciting because we’re continuing an event that’s of When he took office last year, Mayor great value to the community. The Waikiki Hannemann followed through on a longstanding Improvement Association extends a big mahalo to promise to cut direct City spending on the events. Tesoro Hawaii.” The Waikiki Improvement Association agreed to The Sunset on the Beach events usually are assume responsibility for putting on the beach held on Saturday and Sunday evenings, with events. movies shown free to the public on the 30-foot “These are worthwhile events, because they screen at Queen’s Beach in Waikiki. In addition, draw local people to Waikiki and create many food and refreshments are available for sale, and opportunities for visitors to interact with them in a often live entertainment is included in the program. positive way,” said Hannemann. “We’re grateful the With an unbeatable venue that has the ocean on the Waikiki Improvement Association and now Tesoro right and world-renowned Diamond Head on the left, Hawaii have stepped up to keep it going.” Allure Waikiki Condominium Coming to Old Wave Waikiki Site A new project is coming to the former site of The restaurant structure, rooftop recreation deck, and Wave Waikiki nightclub at the corner of Ena Road public open space. and Kalakaua Avenue. The Allure Waikiki The terraced high-rise tower consists of 18 one-, Condominium is a mixed-use development 258 two-, and 24 three-bedroom units. They range consisting of a 35-story, 300-unit residential high- in size from approximately 840 to 1,515 square-feet. rise tower, 5-story parking structure, 2-story The high-rise tower is angled to correlate with the triangular-shaped property and the floors terrace upward. The site consists of eight (8) parcels and two (2) private roadway lots with a total lot area of 99,741 square-feet or 2.29 acres. The recreation deck, located on the 5-story parking structure, includes a fitness center, landscaped areas, barbecue areas, and swimming pool. The parking structure will house 485 stalls for residents, 15 stalls designated for guests, and 19 spaces for commercial parking, for a total of 519 parking spaces. There will also be a 9,000 sq. ft. restaurant. continued on page 3 Page 2 Page 2 Waikiki Wiki-Wiki Wire Allure Waikiki Condominium Coming to Old Wave Waikiki Site (continued from page 2) The previously existing structures have been demolished. These included two 3-story apartment buildings (24 units) and 2-story building (8 apartment units and Wave Nightclub). The existing privately-owned roadway lots, Pau and Makaoe Lanes, are to be closed and incorporated into the project site. The development will dedicate a public mini-park on the corner of Kalakaua and Ena Road. Improvements to the surrounding area will include: • The widening of Kalakaua Avenue along the entire project frontage to accommodate a new right-hand turn lane; • The restriping and relocation of existing traffic signals and the pedestrian crosswalk; and architectural services. Kusao & Kurahashi, Inc. are • The reinstallation of new street trees along consultants to the project. The project address is the entire project street frontage. 1837 Kalakaua Avenue. The project is owned by Fifield Companies of Irvine, California. Architects Hawaii is providing Surf Forecasts Point to Improved Conditions for Waikiki Sand Pumping Project Long-term surf forecasts are suggesting a return 5-day ‘weather window’ to remobilize (2 days) and to more typical winter surf conditions that will allow pump without having to stop for high surf,” Young the Department of Land and Natural Resources said. The project requires a 20 to 30-day operating (DLNR) and its contractor to resume the planned window of calm seas. sand pumping project to replenish Kuhio The staging area on the beach will remain beach. The contractor has established a tentative closed while DLNR’s contractor finishes the re-mobilization date of Nov 27 and may begin construction of the retention basin and associated pumping sand as soon as Wednesday, November silt containment devices. 29. Project objectives are to increase the size of the DLNR’s contractor, American Marine Corp., will dry beach at Kuhio Beach, and to demonstrate state pump up to 10,000 cubic yards of offshore marine of the art offshore sand pumping technologies for sand to replenish Kuhio beach at Waikiki as a future beach restoration efforts. demonstration project that has been repeatedly delayed by forecast high surf. For information about the project, and project updates posted, go to the DLNR Office of “The contractor has indicated that work should Conservation and Coastal Lands web site at http:// resume after Thanksgiving,” said Peter Young, www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/occl/nourishment.php DLNR chairperson. “The contractor needs at least a Page 3 Page 3 Waikiki Wiki-Wiki Wire Crack Found In Beachwalk Force Main; Sewage Diverted To Emergency Bypass The emergency bypass sewage system that was installed in Waikiki this summer was placed into operation at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21st, to allow City crews to repair a crack discovered that morning in the Beachwalk force main. "When we launched the emergency bypass project in May, I announced that it was the City's top priority," said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. "Now we can see why. Had we not already installed the emergency pumps and pipes, we'd be facing another crisis today." Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, applauded the city for moving quickly to set up the emergency bypass, pointing out the alternative could have been another and force main will be diverted to the emergency spill that would trigger negative national news bypass system, which consists of a series of pumps coverage. and temporary plastic pipes along the Ala Wai The crack was discovered by crews that were Canal. excavating around the 42-inch reinforced concrete The Beachwalk force main was built in 1964, pipe, near the Beachwalk pump station, on Kuhio more than 40 years ago, to carry almost all of the Avenue at Kaiolu Street. The crack is about 3 feet wastewater from Waikiki and several surrounding long around the circumference of the pipe, and 4 neighborhoods under pressure toward the next inches wide. pump station at Ala Moana and ultimately to the "The small amount of wastewater that escaped Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. when the main was exposed has been contained The Beachwalk force main ruptured in March within the pit," said Craig Nishimura, deputy director after weeks of heavy rain, and because there was of the Department of Design and Construction. no alternate or backup at the time, the City was "Fortunately the emergency bypass is already in forced to divert 48 million gallons of untreated place, and we're putting that into service now so we wastewater into the Ala Wai Canal.