Office of Hawaiian Affairs approves a $5.2 million plan for a Native Hawaiian Cultural Center

On Thursday the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board signed off on a $5.2 million plan to set up an independent nonprofit that will operate the Native Hawaiian Cultural Center proposed for Kakaʻako Makai. It is a major step in the agency's long effort to develop 29 acres on Honolulu's waterfront. OHA received the land after a partial settlement in 2012 over unpaid Public Land Trust revenue.

What the money covers

The funds will cover three fiscal years of operating costs and the hiring of an executive director. They will also pay for pre-planning and design of the center. The nine-member board spent Wednesday debating whether to approve only an initial $120,000 and whether to include more Kakaʻako Makai lots in the planning.

The Look Lab site

The proposed home is the Look Lab site which is a city-owned property of about 18,000 square feet. The building used to be a research facility for ocean engineering and marine science. OHA managing director of real estate Daniel Sandomire said the site offers an exciting possibility and that talks with the city include sharing the space with ocean safety operations. He added that the arrangement and costs still need work.

Debate among trustees

Trustee Carmen Hulu Lindsey questioned approving more than $5 million without seeing a nonprofit document or having an executive director in place. She said she supports the plan but not the size of the budget. Trustee Keoni Souza who chairs the Investment and Land Management Committee said the topic has come before the board before and that the time is now. He added that a consultant had already been hired to study whether the center is feasible.