Hawaii
Restaurant at Ala Wai Harbor fears its permit won't be renewed
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Pau Hana Place is a restaurant that opened more than a year ago as a gathering spot for visitors and locals alike at the entrance to Waikiki.
Management is very concerned, however, that they may lose their lease.
Pau Hana Place general manager Bonnie Flemon says her company saw this area next to the Ala Moana Boulevard bridge as as business opportunity.
“We’ll go in, invest and be able to do what we need to do make it a nice Hawaiian place. And that’s what we planned,” she said.
Flemon said her group spent $700,000 sprucing the place up, building a wooden deck and a stage area with tents. She said that it’s been gaining momentum in the past year, with local entertainers providing music while patrons enjoy dinner.
“I think it’s a great effort,” said longtime local entertainer Kimo Kahoano, who’s been a regular. “I mean, people don’t understand that we always need to be sharing what is aloha. Sharing Hawaii. Sharing the music.”
“That’s really what they like, is that they get to intermingle with local people,” said Loretta Kilby, a singer who also is a frequent customer. “We bring them in.”
Flemon said business has fallen more than 50% since the state took away their parking spaces in June.
“Unfortunately it got rented and it’s not something we could do,” she said.
“The parking lot originally was packed,” said Kahoano. “Originally it was packed with a lot of people who came to watch the shows and partake of the wonderful meals that they serve here.”
Flemon said the state granted the establishment a revocable permit, “which we were told that’s not a problem because there’s many people that’s been on revocable permits for 20 years.”
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the department’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is set to make a presentation on the property’s future at the Friday Land Board meeting.
Flemon fears the board may not renew permit. Supporters are hoping for a compromise to help Pau Hana Placeregain its momentum.
“You know how Waikiki can be. There’s always other things to do,” said Kilbey. “But this is exceptionally wonderful.”
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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