• Lihu‘e redevelopment plans Lihu‘e redevelopment plans Beginning in the 1960s Lihu‘e became a hodgepodge of small islands of development created without much thought to the big picture of the overall look of Kaua‘i’s county seat and business center. The
• Lihu‘e redevelopment plans
Lihu‘e redevelopment plans
Beginning in the 1960s Lihu‘e became a hodgepodge of small islands of development created without much thought to the big picture of the overall look of Kaua‘i’s county seat and business center.
The town grew out of a small settlement started by Kaikioewa, an early governor of Kaua‘i in the days of the Hawaiian kingdom, located near today’s Lihue Civic Center.
The development of Lihue Plantation along Nawiliwili Stream, and the revenue generated by this plantation and Grove Farm plantation, located to the south of the stream, fueled the growth of the town.
By the 1910s the town took on the look of similar boom towns in the west, with a row of stately homes along “Elite Street,” now known as Rice Street, a shopping center of sorts near the mill, a German community centered around a Lutheran church and a waterfront pier at Nawiliwili near the beach homes of plantation owners and an oceanfront community, plus a handsome county building
The town was then surrounded by sugar cane fields and historic aerial photos give a bird’s eye view of Lihu‘e that capture its somewhat organized look.
Moving forward to the post-war era shows a trend towards demolition of landmark buildings like the Tip Top, the former wood frame Lihue Plantation building and estate homes.
The ubiquitous 1960s-style shopping malls that were sprouting up across the American landscape arrived, along with an industrial area, housing developments and other growth that was much welcomed.
Add more homes and businesses, some neglect of long stretches of commercial buildings, the destruction wrought to historic buildings by three major hurricanes if you include Dot from the 1950s, more sprawl along the edges of the town and you have the Lihu‘e of today.
The town is functional and prosperous, but could use an overlay of design to make it a place to come to on Friday or Saturday night, or on Sunday, rather than mostly a place that’s Monday-Friday, 8-5.
Over the past decade interest in “fixing” Lihu‘e has grown, thanks to the Lihue Business Association and other organizations. Kaua‘i historian Pat Griffin has as an individual, and in working with the Kauai Historical Society and other groups, begun to gather a clear picture of the town’s past, providing a reference point for some of the work.
The announcement this week that the County of Kaua‘i is ready to put over a quarter of a million dollars into a design plan is welcome news. If implemented, the plan could result in the creation of a street mall, a consolidation of the town’s heart into a destination of sorts and an inviting look for visitors and residents alike.
This change will require a committment by both government and the business sector, and funding help from outside sources, but the effort will be worth it if Lihu‘e can again regain some of the graceful look the town once possessed.
On an economic level, the design changes should help Lihue merchants as well, and perhaps add something new to the attraction of Kaua‘i to visitors.
As the oldest media business in Lihu‘e, and on Kaua‘i, The Garden Island has a 102-year-old stake in the town. We support improving the environment and planning of our island’s capital.
