OHA, city begin talks on future use of Kakaako Makai site

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The former J.K.K. Look Laboratory building is a familiar sight on the Point Panic side of the entrance to Kewalo Basin in Kakaako.

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The Office of Hawaiian Affairs says it is in exploratory discussions with the City and County of Honolulu on possible future purposes for the site.

“Our conversations with the city are attempting to enter into a partnership where we explore a shared vision,” said OHA Board Vice Chair Keoni Souza.

The 18,000 square-foot ocean engineering and marine research facility had been leased by the University of Hawaii.

While no decisions have been made for the city-owned site, two possibilities are on the table.

“Of course, a Native Hawaiian cultural center, and the City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety headquarters,” said Souza.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi agreed.

“Ocean safety is fundamental to who we are as an island community, and so is preserving and perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture,” he said in a statement.

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“I think we sorely need one, a Native Hawaiian cultural center, with all the arts and the crafts and the history,” said state Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, who represents Kakaako.

OHA has been pushing to develop its 30 acres of land in Kakaako Makai, but previous plans to build high-rise residential towers, along with cultural and commercial centers, have died in the state legislature.

“This is one of my top priorities, to finally activate our parcels in Kakaako Makai,” said Souza. OHA has owned those lands since 2012.

Souza said the agency is looking at other options for its land.

“One of the talks that the board has approved is to enter in conversations with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Kali Watson and his team, to put up housing for 50% or greater Native Hawaiians,” he said.

“Right now there is very little infrastructure and they have to do a lot more cleaning up the brown fields — that’s all of the toxic landfill that they’re thinking of building on,” said Moriwaki.

Any decisions on what will happen to the Look Lab site are still far off and would have to be approved by the OHA board, the city and other agencies.

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