Trustees with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved a $5.2 million plan Thursday to create a nonprofit to run the Native Hawaiian Cultural Center slated for Kakaʻako Makai.
It's a step forward in OHA’s plan to develop 29 acres in Kakaʻako Makai following a partial settlement of unpaid Public Land Trust revenue in 2012.
The money will fund the initiative for the next three fiscal years, which covers operating expenses, hiring an executive director, and pre-planning and designing the center.
The area the cultural center is proposed for is the Look Lab Site, an about 18,000 square foot space owned by the city that used to be an ocean engineering and marine research facility.
Daniel Sandomire, OHA’s managing director of real estate, said there are discussions with the city.
“The Look Lab offers an exciting possibility for the center’s home,” he said during a Wednesday OHA committee meeting. “We're discussing that opportunity with the city, including the possibility of sharing the site with ocean safety. There is still work to do on that site arrangement, suitability, shared uses, and costs.”
The nine-member board deliberated on Wednesday whether to approve only the initial $120,000, the source of the $1.5 million spending limit exception, and whether planning should include Kakaʻako Makai Lots C, D, and K – rather than only the Look Lab site.
Trustee Carmen Hulu Lindsey questioned approving a budget of more than $5 million, adding that she hasn’t seen a nonprofit document and is concerned over not having an executive director already in place.
“I’m kind of blown away. This is the first time we’re seeing a plan for our cultural center,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with this plan. I have a problem with this big money.”
Trustee Keoni Souza, who chairs the OHA Investment and Land Management Committee, disagreed with Lindsey, adding it’s not the first time the topic has been brought to the board. OHA had selected a consultant to complete a feasibility study for the development of the cultural center.
“The time is now, and we have the support of our community partner,” Souza said.
