Chinatown Cultural Plaza redevelopment moves forward after years of City advocacy
HONOLULU — After years of sustained advocacy by Mayor Rick Blangiardi and his administration for significant changes at Chinatown Cultural Plaza, the property owner has announced plans to move forward with a comprehensive redevelopment of the longtime Chinatown property.
Mayor Blangiardi has made Chinatown revitalization a priority throughout his administration, with the City investing significant resources in public safety, sanitation, infrastructure, and public-space improvements. As part of that effort, the Mayor has repeatedly raised concerns about conditions at Chinatown Cultural Plaza and advocated directly for meaningful changes to the property.
“This has been five years of persistence, difficult conversations, and a very clear message from our administration that Chinatown Cultural Plaza needed meaningful change,” Mayor Blangiardi said. “We believed from the beginning that you cannot fully revitalize Chinatown without addressing one of its largest and most important properties. The decision to redevelop the Plaza represents a major step forward, and I am very pleased we have reached this point.”
The Taiwan government acquired the property in 1979, and Longevity International Enterprises Corporation manages Chinatown Cultural Plaza.
The Plaza has played an important cultural and commercial role in Chinatown for more than half a century. The proposed redevelopment presents an opportunity to build on that history while creating a safer, more vibrant property that can contribute to the cultural and economic development of the entire district.
“This is about much more than redeveloping a single property,” Mayor Blangiardi said. “It is about what Chinatown can become. This community has extraordinary history, culture and character, and we want to see that reflected in its future. A revitalized Cultural Plaza can help bring new energy and economic activity into Chinatown while remaining a place that celebrates the cultures and traditions that have made this community so special.”
According to Longevity International Enterprises Corporation, tenants are being given at least six months’ advance notice of lease termination, with lease terminations and vacating the premises scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2027.
Longevity has also announced that preliminary work is expected to include environmental impact assessments and archaeological studies, followed by demolition of the existing structures and an invitation for qualified developers to submit redevelopment proposals.
The announcement comes as the City continues its broader work to revitalize Chinatown and improve conditions throughout the district.
“We have put an enormous amount of time, energy, and resources into Chinatown because we believe in it,” Mayor Blangiardi said. “There is still a great deal of work ahead, but this is an important breakthrough. For five years, we have pushed for real progress at this property. Now we have an opportunity to turn that progress into something transformational for Chinatown and for Honolulu.”
The City will continue its work to improve Chinatown and will perform its appropriate governmental functions as the redevelopment proceeds through applicable planning, permitting, and regulatory processes.
—PAU—
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