Design Challenge

Planning our post-COVID future has highlighted our opportunity to better utilize our “public realm” for performing and visual arts. The town has had block parties on Rice Street. Kress Street could be a regular festival or farmers market street. Kalena Park has been used for movies in the park. Festivals have been hosted on the Historic County lawn. How can these and other public spaces be better designed to accommodate performing and visual arts uses in addition to everyday functions? What kind of design features should be incorporated into various types of spaces to accommodate performance needs: lighting, power, seating, stage, shade, rain protection, maintenance, storage, etc. Are these features permanent or portable? What is the operations model for these spaces? What kind of design principles should be developed to ensure public benefit: safe, comfortable, accessible, and inviting spaces that reinforce community heritage, identity, and pride. How do these spaces connect to streets, paths, sidewalks, or improve existing circulation and mobility? (See Kaua’i Kakou General Plan 2018 page 150 for more information on town centers and public art objectives).

Policy Challenge

What other programs and policies have other municipalities adopted to be able to provide regular public realm arts programming? Help us to gather precedents for similar initiatives, including any information related to addressing some of the more challenging operational and regulatory aspects of hosting public events, including reliable funding streams, especially in a post-COVID world where local government funding of such initiatives may be limited for years.

Site #3 Līhuʻe Civic Center, Eiwa Street Civic Center Historic District

Līhuʻe Civic Center

Līhuʻe Civic Center campus is comprised of County administrative offices and bounded by Kuhio Highway, Hardy Street, Rice Street, and Eiwa Street. The Līhuʻe Civic Center, once the Līhuʻe Shopping Center, the first mall on Kauaʻi, may be redeveloped as a mixed-use project including government, residential, and commercial uses through a current Request for Proposal. How space for performing and visual arts may be incorporated into this redevelopment effort could be considered in this design tank.

Līhuʻe Civic Center Historic District

The Civic Center is immediately adjacent to State Offices and the Historic County Building and Historic Lawn across Eiwa Street. The Historic County Building houses the offices and chambers of the Kauaʻi County Council. The Historic County Building, Lawn, Annex, and Old Courthouse comprise the Līhuʻe Civic Center Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The County Building Lawn has been a site of community gatherings and festivals.  Other buildings of state and national historic significance within proximity are the Kauaʻi Museum, located at the corner of Eiwa Street and Rice Street, and the Post Office, located across Rice Street.

Eiwa Street

Eiwa Street has been reconfigured as a transit-priority street, serving as a transit hub in Līhuʻe Town for The Kauaʻi Bus, with bus shelters and wide sidewalk. The street could also be used as a temporary “open street” connecting the Civic Center and parking lot to the Historic Lawn when the lawn is used for outdoor performances.

Site #4 Līhuʻe Civic Center to Convention Hall, Umi Street, Shared use path, and adjacent Līhuʻe ballfields 

As a part of the TIGER project, a new shared use path has been constructed between the Līhuʻe Civic Center and Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. The path goes behind Wilcox Elementary School and adjacent to the Līhuʻe Ballfields, a large park space that, prior to construction of the shared use path, was mostly concealed from public view. The ballfields, as well as the expansive parking lot behind Convention Hall, and the shared use path itself, could be considered for flexible use as performing or visual arts venues. Shared use path is shown on 2015 Tiger Grant Narrative page 21 of the PDF.

Site #5 Rice Street, Kress Street, Kalena Park

Rice Street

A primary commercial corridor in Līhuʻe, Rice Street has mixed-use including local small businesses, civic uses, residential and public space. Rice Street was recently improved through a TIGER grant with wider sidewalks and a “road diet” to support economic development and safer use for those walking, driving, and taking transit.

Kress Street

With the historic Kress Building undergoing redevelopment on the corner of Kress and Rice Streets, Kress Street could be reconfigured as a “festival street” suitable for multiple uses. What are best practices for a festival or market street?

Kalena Park

Located on the corner of Rice Street and Kalena Street, Kalena Park has functioned as a neighborhood park. With the Līhuʻe Town Core Mobility and Revitalization Project and several private redevelopment efforts breathing new life into the town core, Kalena Park has been reenvisioned as an urban park/plaza in the center of town through a master planning process initiated by youth at the Boys and Girls Club. With Kaniko‘o Senior Housing adjacent to the park and affordable family housing just down the street, Kalena Park can truly be a park for all ages. What other considerations or recommendations might you offer to the current Conceptual Plan and Vision?