This week, Mayor Rick Blangiardi joins host Brandi Higa on the One O‘ahu Podcast to discuss the ‘A‘ala Respite, a new contract for Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) CEO Lori Kahikina, and public safety in Wai’anae.
‘A‘ala Respite
On Sept. 16, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Governor Josh Green unveiled ʻAʻala Respite, the City and County of Honolulu’s newest facility providing shelter and medical respite care to Oʻahu’s homeless population.
“We’re using the parking lot with 30 beds outside and 32 beds inside. So it’s a total of 62 beds,” explained Mayor Blangiardi. “We’ve looked at this challenge over a lot of months and just decided we would do something innovative this way and I think we’re off to a great start. It’s going to make a big difference.”
‘A‘ala Respite, which is being managed by Dr. Scott Miscovich and Premiere Medical Group Hawaiʻi, is located at a City-acquired the property at 445 N. King Street. Purchased for $8,400,000 in Dec. 2023, this property was identified in the Downtown Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Plan as a site of critical infrastructure to support upcoming affordable housing and TOD initiatives in Iwilei.
A new contract for HART CEO Lori Kahikina
On Sept. 6, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board of Directors approved a new, multi-year contract for HART executive director and CEO Lori Kahikina.
“For one thing, Lori was going a good job and she’s been key to the success we’ve had,” said Mayor Blangiardi when asked about the importance of this contract. “I give her a lot of credit as a CEO. It’s not been easy, nothing ever is. And we want continuity in the project.”
Mayor Blangiardi goes on to describe the FTA’s interest in having Lori stay with the project as well. The 3-year contract, effective Jan. 1, 2025, raises Kahikina’s annual salary from 275,000 to 336,000.
The “Silva Dome”
Hiram James Silva Sr., the shooter in an incident in Wai‘anae that left four people dead, was the owner of a problem property on Wai‘anae Valley Road. The property, which has been rented out for graduation parties and events, has received dozens of complaints for illegal activity over the past two decades.
“I’ve talked publicly about what we wanted to get done in our last two failed applications for, what’s called a non-judicial foreclosure, that would allow us to do certain things when you have abandoned properties or something that’s problematic,” said Mayor Blangiardi on the One O‘ahu Podcast. “Not looking to take properties away from anybody, just be able to address them, because that’s the only remedy is through the courts.”
The over 19-acre property is zoned as agricultural and does not have a conditional use permit or any other land use permit. The mayor goes on to talk about additional police officers being posted throughout the district to curb additional incidents of violence and illegal activity.