Merchants and restaurateurs in Kaimuki's historic business district have long sought a solution to the area's parking shortage, with little to show for their efforts except frustration.

But now a number of folks — including some who had been on opposite sides of the issue — seem to be warming up to a proposal to build a multilevel parking structure within the larger of the city's two municipal parking lots, just off Wai'alae Avenue between 11th and 12th avenues.

Today, the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board will hold three meetings on the proposal and take comments from the community.

The board will consider the proposal at a meeting May 17 in the Lili'uokalani Elementary School cafeteria.

Mike Abe, board chairman and the person spearheading the parking structure plan, said local frustration has reached such a level that the townsfolk are ready to accept the idea.

Abe said a three- to four-level parking garage would be in line with the height of surrounding buildings and could double or even triple the parking lot's current 271 metered stalls.

Abe estimated that the cost of the structure, which could be privately and publicly financed, would be in the $30,000- to $40,000-per-stall range.

He said the city derives $900,000 a year from Kaimuki's two metered parking lots, and that the garage would generate substantially more income.

He believes the structure would generate enough parking revenue to pay for itself, improvements and maintenance, and perhaps even support the return of the popular trolley through Kaimuki, Waikiki, and Kapahulu, thus alleviating future parking demand.

In the past, the one thing just about everyone in Kaimuki could agree on was that the parking-space dilemma had reached critical mass, said Eric Wong, president of the Kaimuki Business and Professional Association.

"Consensus is one thing we haven't been able to reach so far," said Wong, who said his association would support any idea that would take in the needs of the merchants, patrons, employers, employees and residents.

When the community couldn't come together after a $75,000 parking study had been completed, many here threw up their hands.

D.J. Colbert, owner of Prosperity Corner on 12th Avenue, said she lost friends over the issue. Colbert's initial response on hearing about the parking garage plan was to declare her support.

"I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing — it serves no purpose" said Colbert, who added that the way things are now it's impossible for Kaimuki merchants to increase their customer base.

"If we can get this thing going, let's do it. Enough!"

Across the street, Gordon Tam, who operates Tam's Shoe Repair Shop and who has disagreed with Colbert on what to do about parking, said he, too, thought the parking structure idea might have merit.

Although Tam wondered how long it would take to build the structure and how that would adversely affect the parking problem, he said he planned to attend one of today's three presentation meetings.

Not far away, at the Movie Museum, counter clerk Jaynie Chong was adamant about her desire for more parking space.

"I park here every day," Chong said. "It's tough to find a parking place. I have to sit out there like a hawk and wait for someone to pull out of a stall so I can charge in there real fast."

But Dwight Damon, who owns the business, said part of the appeal of Kaimuki is its small-town way of doing things — a place with a personal touch.

"People who really want to come to Kaimuki are not going to be deterred from coming to their favorite haunts because they're having a little trouble finding a parking place," Damon said. "Kaimuki is a laid-back sort of place.

"A big parking structure is going to change the character of the place. Parking structures are kind of cold, impersonal things."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.