Ala Moana/Sheridan area wants a face-lift
By Mary Vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
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Think Ala Moana-Sheridan, and businesses usually come to mind.
But the community is also home to about 6,000 people, and those residents are now coming together to shape the future of their neighborhood.
The Ala Moana-Sheridan Community Plan has a series of recommendations, based on three public meetings over 11 months, for the dense residential and commercial districts from Ala Moana Center to King Street and from Kalakaua Avenue to the Neil Blaisdell Center.
Proposals in the plan include:
"These are what people identified as some of their big issues," said John Whalen, president of Plan Pacific Inc., the consulting firm that helped develop the plan. "Some of them can actually be implemented without an awful lot of money."
The consulting firm got $95,000 to write the plan. Over the coming weeks, the draft will be sent to public libraries and other organizations for comments. A final plan will be given to the city in the new year.
John Breinich, chairman of the Ala Moana/Kaka'ako Neighborhood Board, said the community plan will serve as a guide for city planners. It was commissioned during Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration.
Whalen said residents had a number of key concerns about their community, including the concentration of adult entertainment businesses in the Kapi'olani and Ke'eaumoku corridors and unsafe streets.
Aging infrastructure and an outdated street network, which positions "super blocks" in the middle of heavily used roads, was also a concern. The plan says street congestion is a common frustration for residents.
Whalen said residents also wanted to better the livability of their community with more park space, improved crosswalks and dedicated bike lanes. "There is so little park space in that area," Whalen said.
The plan suggests providing recreation facilities on existing public lands, including McKinley High School, Pawa'a Park and the Pawa'a fire station.
Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.