Urging Appropriate Authorities To Redevelop The Pali Lanes Property To Preserve Its Historic Mid-century Architecture And Provide For Meaningful Recreational, Cultural, And Community-serving Uses That Benefit The Residents Of Kailua And Windward Oahu.
SCR104 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging appropriate authorities to redevelop the former Pali Lanes property in Kailua in a way that preserves its historic mid-century architecture and supports recreational, cultural, and community-serving uses. The resolution describes Pali Lanes as a long-standing community institution that operated for about 60 years before closing in 2021, and notes its past role as a venue for youth sports, community events, social gatherings, hula performances, nonprofit activities, and Special Olympics events.
The measure also expresses concern that the site has remained vacant since closure and that prior for-profit redevelopment concepts have drawn community opposition. It emphasizes the scarcity of affordable, accessible gathering spaces in Kailua and Windward Oahu because of high land costs and limited available land, and frames redevelopment as an opportunity to preserve both the building and its public value.
If a renovation for public benefit does not materialize, the resolution requests that the Department of Land and Natural Resources evaluate options to acquire the parcel at 120 Hekili Street, including the Pali Lanes facility, for public preservation and maintenance. Because this is a concurrent resolution, it does not itself change statutes or create binding law; instead, it expresses the Legislature’s intent and urges action by state and local authorities, including DLNR and the State Historic Preservation Division.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of community preservation and public use. The resolution cites broad public backing from elected officials, community leaders, the Kailua Neighborhood Board, petitions, and surveys representing thousands of residents, suggesting a favorable posture toward redevelopment for community benefit rather than private commercial redevelopment.
The main point of contention is the future use of the property: community-oriented preservation versus for-profit redevelopment. The resolution does not identify specific opponents by name, but it clearly indicates that some redevelopment proposals have generated concern among residents and advocates who want the site retained as an affordable, accessible public gathering place.
SCR104 would not amend Hawaii statutes or impose legal requirements, but it would formally communicate legislative support for preserving and repurposing the Pali Lanes property for public-serving uses. It urges redevelopment that maintains the building’s historic character and, if that is not feasible, asks DLNR to consider acquiring the parcel at 120 Hekili Street to preserve it for the public. The resolution could influence state agencies, the property owner, and local planning discussions, especially regarding historic preservation, land acquisition, and community recreation space in Kailua and Windward Oahu.
The sentiment around the bill is broadly positive and preservation-oriented. The resolution presents the Pali Lanes site as a beloved community landmark and frames its redevelopment as a chance to restore a valued public asset. The discussion embedded in the bill text suggests strong community and political support for keeping the property in a community-serving role, with emphasis on affordability, accessibility, and cultural value.
The central contention is over redevelopment direction: whether the site should be preserved and reused for community benefit or redeveloped for private, for-profit purposes. Supporters of the resolution favor maintaining the historic building and ensuring public access to recreational and cultural space, while the bill notes that prior commercial redevelopment concepts have prompted significant community concern. The resolution does not detail formal opposition, but the tension is clearly between preservation/public use advocates and redevelopment interests.