The former Kaka‘ako (Ala Moana) Pump Station, located on a rectangular parcel of land at the makai-ewa corner of the intersection of Ala Moana Boulevard and Keawe Street, is significant both for its unique architectural character and historic relevance.  The complex contains three historic structures built between 1900 and 1938.  These three structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places as well as in the State Register of Historic Places, and are an excellent example of Hawaiian cut bluestone construction in an Industrial Romanesque style.  Historically, the buildings are associated with Honolulu’s first professionally designed sewage disposal system.

Background:

The Republic of Hawaii in 1896 hired Rudolph Hering, a New York Sanitary Engineer, to plan an effective sewage disposal system for the growing city of Honolulu.  Hering recommended a “separate system” whereby separate networks of conduits would carry sewage and storm waters, a system still used today in Honolulu.  Work on the system began in 1899 and sewer lines were laid out in a gravity flow pattern that terminated at a low point at the intersection of Keawe Street and Ala Moana Boulevard.  It was here that the Kaka‘ako Pumping Station, designed by O. G. Traphagen, was built in 1900.  The station housed steam-powered pumps that carried the sewage through a force main out to sea some 1,200 feet from shore.

In 1925, a brick addition was built on the southwestern side of the main building to house additional pumps.  In 1938, a new pumping station was erected on the southwestern side of the existing structures.  When this new station was completed in 1939, the original station was closed down.  The 1900 structure was partitioned with hollow tile walls and converted into a machine repair and maintenance shop.  In 1955, the new Ala Moana Pumping Station was opened on the southwestern portion of the lot.  At that time, the 1938 structure was abandoned but kept operable for standby purposes.

Future Plans:

The station’s sound construction has not protected the now 105-year old structure from the ravages of time and non-use.  Recently, the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) and volunteers from the community and professional organizations carried out some cosmetic work to improve the appearance of the structure in anticipation of a future restoration of the historic buildings.  HCDA had also installed an irrigation system and a parking lot was developed adjacent to the historic structure.  Over the past decade, a handful of development scenarios including a restaurant, a microbrewery, a tourist information center and a museum were proposed for the site and subsequently aborted due to various economic and preservation concerns.

The Draft Development Strategy for the Ala Moana Historic Pump Station and
Developable Lands in the Ewa Portion of the Kaka‘ako Makai Area

In 2005, HCDA engaged the services of Clifford Planning LLC, a Honolulu planning firm, to develop a policy and development strategy plan for the historic Kaka‘ako Pump Station and developable lands in the Ewa portion of the Kaka‘ako Waterfront.  This plan will help HCDA to further its mission of transforming Kaka‘ako and its waterfront lands into an economically- and socially-vibrant community that provides a range of public benefits.  HCDA’s intent is to find ways to restore the historic structure and make it a part of the exciting redevelopment that’s taking place in Kaka‘ako.

Developed appropriately as a mixed-use complex, the historic Ala Moana Pumping Station and adjacent 3.25 acres of land could become an icon and gateway for the Kaka‘ako District.  That is one of the outcomes of the development policies in the draft development strategy plan for the site.  HCDA’s consultant, Clifford Planning, LLC, spent the over six months conducting a planning study on the site to prepare policy and development guidelines based on input from various stakeholders and the public who participated in several workshops.  The study is intended to create the basis for HCDA to develop a Request for Proposals solicitation to develop the site at some time in the future.

Other recommendations of the study, formulated from public input, are:

• to restore and rehabilitate the historic Ala Moana Pump Station site;
• to develop the best use of the site including a balance of mixed uses, density and historic preservation;
• to view more favorably proposals that favor low-rise structures and attempt to utilize the “urban village” concept;
• to maintain a view corridor of green space in front of the project site and not obstruct the view of the historic structures along Ala Moana Boulevard;
• to ensure that proposals create an urban space that fosters a friendly, pedestrian walking environment;
• if housing is included in the mix, it should be affordable housing;
• if a parking structure is included in the mix, it should be concealed from view with a commercial liner; and
• to provide a landscaped visual barrier to screen and reduce the visual impact of the active pump station.

Links to the Draft Development Strategy for the Ala Moana Historic Pump Station

Part 1 (5.3 MB) (Click here)

Part 2 (7.5 MB) (Click here)

Part 3 (5.7 MB) (Click here)

Appendices (3.7 MB) (Click here)

Executive Summary (Click here)

Powerpoint Presentation on the Strategy (Click here)

Interesting Facts:

• The architect of the historic Kaka‘ako Pump Station, O. G. Traphagan, also designed the Moana Hotel in Waikiki.
• The land on which the pump station was built was formerly owned by the Hawaiian kingdom and ceded to the Republic of Hawaii after the overthrow of the monarchy.
• Approximately 90 groups or individuals have expressed interest in using the site with such ideas as: restaurant use, art gallery, wedding facility, museums of various kinds, coffee shop, convenience store, research facility, tea room, community center, clinic, and offices.