Lahaina’s Front Street is still missing its iconic storefronts three years after the deadly Maui wildfires destroyed businesses on the historic main street.
A year ago, commercial landowners in Lahaina were still in the dark about whether they’d be able to rebuild. Since then, Maui County has announced improvements to infrastructure and a land buyback program. And the first commercial project on Front Street is set to open this year — the Hawaiian Council’s ʻUlu o Lele marketplace, on the site where Outlets of Maui once stood.
But commercial landowners are facing fresh barriers to rebuilding. State requirements for historic buildings are confusing. Some buildings may require a costly archaeological survey, some may not. Insurance doesn’t cover the costs to rebuild. And construction prices have soared.
Kent Untermann is the co-founder of The Art Source and a Front Street landowner. He’s working with Mousa Hassan to bring Kimo’s Restaurant back to Front Street in the historic Chan Wa Building.
John Smith is in charge of the recovery for Maui County. He says the county worked to tweak some of the rules to make rebuilding easier and make guidelines easier to understand.
But there is still uncertainty for one group of landowners. Properties along the water have limited options due to setback rules — and the state has terminated leases for buildings that hung over the water.
One option is a program which would allow the county to buy back those properties. Smith said he’s working to roll that out sometime this month, but details are still under wraps.
