Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is this project needed? For many years, the Hanalei community has been concerned about the misuse and abuse of the main pavilion structure at the park. The current “closed” design of the pavilion building has made it a haven for illegal activities, including alcohol and drug abuse; and the consistent occupation of the building by intoxicated people who engage in those activities has made both local residents and visitors wary - and even fearful - of using the mauka portion of the park. Dealing with this problem also creates a burden on Kauai Police Department resources.

How did this project start? In October of 2017, dozens of residents from the neighborhoods around the park met with representatives of the County of Kauai, including then-Parks & Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo. At that meeting, there was overwhelming support from the attendees for the renovation of the pavilion building.

The Hanalei to Haena Community Association (HHCA) facilitated discussion about the pavilion at its February 12, 2020 general membership meeting. At this meeting, there was broad support for the pavilion “opening up” redesign and the HHCA made the Hanalei Pavilion one of its 2020 priorities. In a February 20, 2020 letter to the County, the HHCA outlined a consensus position for “opening up” the structure, the result of having numerous discussions with area residents, community representatives and other County departments.

Why is The Hanalei Initiative involved? Since its start in 2018, The Hanalei Initiative (THI) identified three areas of focus to build partnerships for action; transportation, parks and environment and economic development. After the HHCA helped to develop a consensus position for the pavilion renovation, THI consulted an architect and engineers regarding the feasibility of an open design, worked with the County on cost and timetables. Bottomline, had this been a solely County driven project it would not be a priority. However, in partnering with the County, as to what the County could provide to get the project done, THI took on the responsibility to have the renovation plans drawn and approved to obtain the building permits and to manage construction of the project while the County upgraded the wastewater system.

What if the renovation cost less than budgeted or THI exceeds the fundraising goal? It would be awesome if the renovation comes in under budget! As any donation collected from this drive is specifically allocated for the Hanalei Pavilion renovation, we will need to have permission to reallocate your donation for other Hanalei Initiative projects or return any excess to you.

Who helped with the drawings and engineering? The Hanalei Initiative (THI) developed a partnership with Kanoa Chung, D.Arch of Noho Workshop.  Kanoa was born and raised in Kilauea and shares our passion to diversify Kauaiʻs economic base by mentoring northshore teens and young adults in a variety of career paths.  At our Hanalei Initiative Creative Center, Kanoa developed a workshop series on architecture and design to learn basic design and drafting skills and using building information modeling (BIM) and computer-aided design (CAD) software to create the types of documents used to construct architectural and engineering projects. The workshop also introduced the participants to typical drawings, processes and concepts used in the profession.  Kanoa and the participants took these skills and techniques to assess and document the Hanalei Pavilion. Besides drawing up the plans and getting the engineering approved, Kanoa has been an awesome partner in helping THI accomplish its park and economic development objectives.