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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Doug McLeod in Waikīkī. "Waikīkī sunset from a high floor. It was only this color for a few moments."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

25 12 26 Doug Mc Leod

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Color takeover</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Doug McLeod in Waikīkī.

Hawai‘i Skies: Color takeover

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Doug McLeod in Waikīkī. &quot;Waikīkī sunset from a high floor. It was only this color for a few moments.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Over the summer, the NCAA announced another sweeping change in a decade full of them, introducing new aged-based eligibility rules for student-athletes. 

NCAA student-athletes now have a continuous five-year eligibility window that starts when one graduates high school or turns 19, whichever comes first. 

Under previous rules, student-athletes had four years to compete and could gain a fifth year by redshirting. Athletes could also get a sixth year via medical hardship waiver. When the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, it created an influx of athletes that were able to reach Year 7 and beyond. 

The new five-year rule essentially eliminates redshirts and comes with just a few exceptions, including religious missions, military service and pregnancy. 

Because of age, not all student-athletes will automatically have five years at their disposal. But across the country, many student-athletes entering their fourth years ahead of the 2026-2027 thought they were seniors and thus would be done after the season. That is no longer the case. And in the age of NIL and the transfer portal, many will feel inclined to explore their options once their respective seasons are over. 

As coaches adapt to the five-year eligibility rule, it promises to create roster crunches for the time being. Aloha State Daily asked a handful of University of Hawai‘i head coaches how they plan to adjust to the new rule and the different aspects that come with it. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Timmy Chang, football"}]

Back when Chang was a quarterback for Hawai‘i in the early 2000s, he played five years the old school way — his sophomore season in 2001 was limited to three games because of a wrist injury. Because he played less than a third of the season, he was granted a medical redshirt. The extra season, in part, allowed him to set the NCAA passing yardage record with 17,072, though he was eventually passed by Houston's Case Keenum, who received six years from 2006 to 2011 after a traditional redshirt and medical hardship.

Prior to the 2018 season, it was announced by the NCAA that football players could play in any four games and maintain a redshirt. Although it kept players engaged and provided breathing room to not burn a season by playing a handful of snaps, that rule has since gone out the window. With 105 roster spots and no transfer limits after the season, does Chang feel inclined to play less true freshmen? 

"I think the biggest thing, if you have value here in your freshman season, whether the value comes from offense, special teams, you might not be a starter week one, but things happen. You ready? You get your opportunity," Chang said. "You get put in there. That's what we look for. Hopefully, the guys continue to develop, they grow, they understand the sense of urgency that happens and they're ready to perform."

56-21 win at Northern Illinois on Oct. 24

, true freshman cornerback Kydel Stone snagged his first career interception while true freshman running back TJ Fo'ilefutu ran for his first touchdown. 

Fifth-year senior receiver Pofele Ashlock has not played in 2026 due to a knee injury. Under the old rules, he would have been granted a sixth year in 2027 in all likelihood. Though UH has petitioned for it, they have yet to receive an answer from the NCAA. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Michele Nagamine, soccer"}]

Roster logjams across all sports are expected in the wake of the new rule. For Nagamine, that means some tough conversations with high school recruits. 

"It's something that everybody's just trying to figure out, but it's a matter of are we going to recruit players for [the high school class of] 2028 when we could possibly have a [traditional four-year] senior returning? Obviously, if we could get a senior to return that has been impactful on the field and a good member of the team, then we would we would gladly take that over [the high school recruit]. So, we've had some conversations," she said early on in the 2026 season. 

The Rainbow Wahine honored nine seniors following a 

. Standout goalkeeper Kennedy Justin was one of them, though she has already announced she will play collegiate soccer in 2027. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Joshua Walker, women's volleyball"}]

Upon getting offered and accepting the UH women's volleyball gig in June, Walker hit the ground running in the recruiting trail. Prep Dig currently ranks Hawai‘i's 2027 recruiting class as the 

. All 15 players on the current roster would be eligible to return in 2027, though outside hitter Tali Hakas recently announced the 2026 indoor season will be her last, and that she'll move on from college after playing the 2027 spring beach season with the Rainbow Wahine. 

"I don't have to make any decisions just yet," Walker said back in August. "For us, it's just getting established with this team and see how things are going to go. But as we hit towards the back end of the year, those questions kind of come up. We'll address those then."

Though women's basketball teams are permitted to have up to 15 players on the roster, Mitchell has deliberately kept 12 in her debut season. The foundation of her roster consists of star junior center Ritorya Tamilo and sophomore guard Bailey Flavell. When she brings in new players, particularly high school recruits, will they operate under the thinking that they have five years? 

"I haven't adjusted in the way of telling them, 'Hey, you get five years here.' I think because of this era, I think you take it a year at a time, and you see what works best for not just the player, but for us as well," Mitchell said. "I hope every player wants to stay here. That would be the real win of the entire season, is we identify our standard, and every single player on this roster wants to return because we've increased and tried to make sure that they had a really good playing experience.

"That's been the key to success here: consistency and retention, and that's still my number one priority. How do I recruit them every day, right? I want them to know how invested I am in them and in their professional aspirations. ... I want what they want. If I've done my job and I made them the best player they can be, and I can no longer offer them something, then absolutely, I'm their number one fan. But if they want to stay here and do this together with us, I want that as well."

 graduated high school in 2019, then went on a two-year church mission. His NCAA clock began in 2021. After suffering an ACL injury prior to the 2025-2026 season, he was granted a sixth year via medical hardship redshirt. For the first time in his life, he's teammates with his little brother, UH freshman guard Tiger Cuff. Under the new rules, that wouldn't have been permitted. 

Though redshirts are out of the picture, Ganot says he and his staff will continue to be flexible towards new rule changes. In the 2026-2027 season, his roster of 15 consists of 13 newcomers. 

"We haven't burned any redshirt years since we've been here. Now it's out of the equation, so it's kind of all hands on deck," Ganot said. "Certainly when you have injuries, I think in terms of the landscape of college athletics, and even with the five-for-five, you've seen what we've done. We're like chameleons. You've seen the new world. I feel like we can still bring in some young prospects that we can develop. We've done a really good job with even looking outside the box with two Division II players that we feel are really good [in 

 and Isaiah Kerr]. Obviously over the years we've brought in some junior college guys. We bring in the global component, and we incorporate the transfers. So, I feel like working to continue to do that in this new world, even as you bring in the five in five, we will be flexible in terms of balance of our roster of where we're bringing them from."

Wade says he knew the five-year rule was on the horizon, and it's informed the way he's managed his roster in recent years. His son, Kainoa, could have redshirted as a true freshman in 2025, but Charlie Wade saw no point in that.

"I've known it's coming for years," he said. "I was one of the few people that was saying it's coming, and so redshirt's not really been a thing, right? Kainoa came in [as a spring semester enrollee] and we played him. Even last year with [middle blocker] Roman [Payne] hurt, he redshirted only because of injury. Everybody knew that the five-for-five was going to come in, and you're not going to get a sixth. So, redshirt really hasn't been a thing for a few years. Just get guys out there, start playing them, start to develop them even more."

 have some tantalizing options as it pertains to players getting an additional year. Kainoa Wade is one of them. Setter Tread Rosenthal was just 17 when he enrolled at Hawai‘i in 2024, and the 2027 season would have been his senior year. The new rule allows him to come back in 2028. But would a player of his ilk stay another year in college instead of go pro? 

"Everybody's looking at it like, 'OK, we have a chance [to play an extra year].' I think most of the core guys are going to go pro, right? I know Kainoa is already talking about getting his masters, and Travell [Jordan] may stick around for year five, but a lot of the other guys, they've been turning down professional offers for quite some time," Wade said. "And then you have to you sync it up with graduation, also. A lot of them are graduating, and so coming back, you can't just come back and play a fifth year. You actually have to go to school, and you have to be in a grad program. So, it really will be more of a case-by-case thing. I'd like to have them all back, but yeah, what's it worth to the [athletics] department to pay those guys in rev share to come back for a whole other year?"

Charlie Wade 110626

<title>UH coaches dish on NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule</title>

With an extra year for some players to work with, recruiting strategy and roster construction has changed for every sport.

UH coaches dish on NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Hawai‘i History

 is usually associated with drawings of buildings. But this week, some of his sketches of tropical fish and trinkets from his travels around the world are up for sale through Oʻahu Auctions.

Called the Father of Hawaiian Modernism, he is known for his buildings across the state. Over 60 years, he created 

more than 1,000 projects across the Islands

“It is an amazing, really once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain these things,” David Brandt, 

president of Oʻahu Auctions, told Aloha State Daily. “It's going to be really interesting to see where they go. I can imagine these sketches will be framed and in boardrooms and buildings that he designed and things like that.”

Ossipoff’s career included work at the Pacific Club, Outrigger Canoe Club, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Waikīkī Aquarium, the Thurston Memorial Chapel at Punahou Schools, the 

, the Daniel K. Honolulu International Airport, and the Kahului Airport, among other projects. He was also the talent behind the 

Liljestrand House on the slopes of Mount Tantalus

, which is open for public tours, as well as the 

, his personal retreat in the Waiʻanae mountains, and the 

He died in 1998. Now, 28 years later, some of the architect’s sketches and personal items are up for auction. The online auction starts closing at 7 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 19, though bids may extend past that time if there is competition.

Ossipoff was raised in Japan, educated in Berkeley, California, and then moved to Hawaiʻi in the early 1930s. He believed those in his profession had to know human nature and must be “a bit of a sociologist, lawyer and psychologist,” according to 

“One thing to say is this definitely attracts interest from around the world,” Brandt

 said. “There's a lot of Mainland interest. There's people registered from Berkeley. There's definitely a lot of architects from around the world: Japan, Korea, Europe. It’s global interest, and of course, here.”

Among the items in this auction are sketches of tropical fish, including front and profile views of: Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, Umaumalei, Angel Fish, and more, which the family believes were part of his work on the Waikīkī Aquarium.

Ossipoff originally traveled to Honolulu to visit a college roommate and then took a position with famed Hawaiʻi architect 

, who is known for his work on a number of buildings in town, including Honolulu Hale, the flagship location of the Hawaiʻi State Library, the Alexander & Baldwin building, and more.

In the 1960s, Ossipoff spearheaded a “war on ugliness” 

 against Hawaiʻi architecture that was insensitive to landscapes and the climate, according to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hamilton Library. Friends called him “charming” and “cantankerous,” according to library records.

“I was just amazed to look through this and get a glimpse into this amazing architect that has shaped Hawaiʻi and did these sketches,” Brandt

 said. “Just to kind of see what his thoughts were behind it, and especially those fish. It just never occurred to me that somebody who would be designing the Waikīkī Aquarium would take the time to sketch fish and think about how fish are going to look in the aquarium as you're designing that. I just thought that was neat. And then, he went to Berkeley and sketched that, and I thought that was pretty cool.”

The auction lot also includes pottery from the Late Qing Dynasty, as well as vintage statehood-era Hawaiʻi newspapers, and a German tea set from the late 20th Century, among other items.

“And then all those small items, those treasures, were things that they collected from traveling all around the world,” 

 said. “All of those just are such interesting objects that have their own story to tell.”

There is also a family Christmas card and an illustrated invitation to dinner from 

. A 15% buyer’s premium is added to bids, plus the 4.712% general excise tax. 

10 Ossipoff Humuhumunukunukuapuaa reef fish sketch

<title>Vladimir Ossipoff sketches up for auction</title>

The original drawings of the architect behind buildings such as the Pacific Club, Outrigger Canoe Club, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Waikīkī Aquarium and more are up for auction this month.

Vladimir Ossipoff sketches up for auction

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"This new Honolulu cafe offers coffee and matcha on tap."}]

 just celebrated its grand opening. The café is located next to The Collective Honolulu Barbershop in Kalihi; it’s in the same lot as Mitsu-ken.

[{"type":"text","text":"The biz soft opened on Nov. 1 and celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 2."}]

The cafe's concept was inspired by a New York City coffee shop that’s known for its lattes on tap, according to Mike Vuong, one of The Collective Cafe’s business owners.

“We saw it (the coffee on tap) on social media and thought, ‘That’s crazy; I don’t think many people out here do it,’” Vuong says. “My buddy’s barber shop is The Collective Barbershop; he has another barber shop in ‘Aiea.

“We were looking for a space for him, and when this opportunity came up, it was a little bit too large, so he decided to split it,” Vuong adds. “It’s part coffee and part barber shop.”

The biz offers matcha and coffee on tap. Customers can choose from 10- ($5.50) and 18-ounce ($7.50) size drinks.

“We have ceremonial-grade matcha; we use it across the board for all of our matcha drinks,” Vuong says. “We do offer oat milk or whole milk to smooth out the Vietnamese coffee a little. Our black sesame coffee is definitely the most popular coffee; our strawberry matcha and our matcha cloud have also been very popular.”

Customers can also choose from ube, banana cream, pistachio, and Biscoff lattes. The Biscoff latte has a Cookie Butter foam and topping, while the strawberry matcha latte has a vanilla foam.

The Collective Cafe is currently open daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Customer parking is available.

“We just want everybody to come, enjoy what we’ve built here and enjoy some drinks,” Vuong says.

The Collective Cafe Mike Vuong 110426

<title>The Collective Cafe has coffee and matcha on tap</title>

The new cafe, located in Kalihi, just celebrated its grand opening. It’s inspired by a New York City-based cafe and offers Vietnamese coffee and matcha on tap. Choose from strawberry matcha lattes, black sesame lattes and more.

The Collective Cafe has coffee and matcha on tap

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

Columnists

Will anything change in Hawai‘i after this election?

Few races are competitive. Republicans have no shot at taking the state’s legislature. They may be able to 

 in the State House after the election, but that’s a bargaining chip, not the whole pot. The State Senate may shuffle its leaders, but that does not mean a shift in policy.

At the top of the state, our congressional delegation and governor will stay the same. Derek Kawakami should slide into the lieutenant governor’s office. But he is a moderate. He offers continuity for his party rather than change.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The counties present little drama."}]

Honolulu’s most exciting race ended in court, as a judge barred City Council Chair Tommy Waters from seeking reelection. Trevor Ozawa should fill his seat. The council will select a new chair, but one can be forgiven for yawning.

Maui has the state’s most exciting race. Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura is challenging incumbent Mayor Richard Bissen. A Sugimura win would be a real change. She has signaled more support for housing and short-term rentals than Bissen has shown in his first term. The Maui council might also swing back from moderate to radical.

So what will change in Hawai‘i after the election?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Outside of Maui, not much."}]

All the intrigue is in Washington, where control of Congress may change hands. If Democrats flip the House and the Senate, President Donald Trump becomes a lame duck for his last two years.

That would matter here. Budget decisions in DC affect funding for the states. Trade policy affects prices at the grocery store. Foreign wars affect the prices of gas at the pump. Our state’s defense economy is subject to decisions made 5,000 miles away. And tourism rises and falls with the Mmainland economy.

A certain type of person gets dramatic about elections. This is the most important election ever, he says. Democracy itself is at stake.

That person takes a fair point too far. Elections matter, but the American empire lurches on from one to the next. Our national debt balloons while our roads and bridges crumble. Yet our military is still the world’s most powerful, and the dollar is still accepted around the world. Our country is deeply divided, but it is not at war with itself. Our decline is more like erosion than shattering.

The hopeful take on elections is also misguided. Righting the ship of state is like turning an aircraft carrier. It takes a long time. We won’t save the republic with our ballots today. One election can bend history only so far.

We may sigh as we vote. But we should give thanks for a country where, despite occasional irregularities, elections are free and fair.

After we vote, we can rest. The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord, and He turns it wherever He will.

2026 election i Stock 2296765703

<title>Hawaiʻi 2026 election: What will change after Election Day?</title>

Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation will stay the same, the governor will stay the same, and Honolulu’s hottest council race was settled by a judge. ASD columnist Sterling Higa on why the only vote that might change anything is on Maui.

Hawaiʻi 2026 election: What will change after Election Day?

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

Kūpuna on the hunt for affordable housing have a new option in Honolulu: Ho‘ohiki Senior Living.

The new affordable community at 1002 N. School St. — developed by Highridge Costa Development Co. in partnership with the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority — will soon welcome seniors 55 and older. The development will offer 249 rental homes reserved for households earning no more than 60% of the area median income. Income limits vary depending on household size; you can find the current income limits for the City and County of Honolulu 

, Ho‘ohiki offers 32 studios, 208 one-bedroom homes, and 10 two-bedroom homes, one of which is a manager's unit. Amenities include parking, an exercise room, classrooms, an arts and crafts room, multi-purpose room with a kitchen, and computer lab, along with an outdoor recreation deck with walking paths, resident gardens and a stage.

Gov. Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority Executive Director Hakim Ouansafi and Highridge Costa Development Co. President Moe Mohanna were among those who gathered Wednesday morning for a grand opening celebration and blessing.

Ouansafi told Aloha State Daily after the blessing that the project launched about 18 months ago. A storm earlier this year had caused some damage in the building because there were no windows, he said, noting that a three-month delay was initially estimated.

"We met again and we said, 'You know what? We need to do everything we can. Delays are not accepted' ... and to see today, still on time, it's actually a beautiful thing."

Ouansafi says, too, the idea that affordable housing has to be "this small, dark area" was unacceptable and new standards were needed.

"I believe, confident actually, that today we did set a new standard for affordable housing," he told ASD. "... You will not be able to tell that this is affordable housing — only in the name — and that is important. And we built it cheaper than what others would build it [for], just with the cooperation, collaboration, proper planning, not wasting time — time is money — and having some good partners. This will set the stage for what affordable housing should be, I think, for years to come. I'm very, very proud of it."

Honolulu City Council Member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents District 6, told ASD that there was a previous attempt to redevelop the site, "and the need was great then and it's even greater now."

"I take the bus most places, so I see the people who this project could benefit each and every day," he says. "Sometimes I talk to them. I talk to them about how much they pay in rent, how much they struggle just to make ends meet here. We need more options exactly like this."

When asked how he felt to be there Wednesday, Mohanna's response was simple.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I could say just very, very grateful,\" he told ASD."}]

"The amount of work that goes into these communities in general, but specifically into affordable housing, it's years in the making just to get to a construction start," Mohanna says. "I know we always focus on construction because it's visible; you see something coming out of the ground. But as with any tree, the roots have to go first, then the tree starts coming out of the ground."

The roots, he says, is the community work, the design, approvals, the financing; that can sometimes take three to five years to get to the point the developer can start construction.

"That's where the heart really has to lead in knowing that one day you will stand in this community, and more important than stand in this community but come back ... and actually see the kūpuna that live here, meet them, talk to them, get to know them."

Applications for the community's housing lottery are being accepted now through Oct. 31, with the lottery set to take place Nov. 10. Applications received after Oct. 31 may be added to the project wait list. Find more information 

Hoohiki2 101426

<title>Affordable senior housing development opens in Honolulu</title>

Ho‘ohiki, located on North School Street, offers 32 studios, 208 one-bedroom homes, and 10 two-bedroom homes

Affordable senior housing development opens in Honolulu

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Business & Tourism

The Chinatown Cultural Plaza will be demolished and redeveloped, the City and County of Honolulu announced Wednesday. When Aloha State Daily visited the site, we saw Taiwan and U.S. flags flapping in the wind, graffiti scrawled on the side of the plaza, empty storefronts, and a handful of restaurants and shops.

Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi has been open with his frustration over the property over the past five years and has pushed for improvements as part of a broader revitalization effort in Chinatown. He met with a Taiwanese 

 in Honolulu in July to discuss the future of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. In a statement issued Wednesday, he said that the redevelopment is a breakthrough to transform Chinatown and Honolulu.

“This is about much more than redeveloping a single property,” Blangiardi said. “It is about what Chinatown can become. This community has extraordinary history, culture and character, and we want to see that reflected in its future. A revitalized Cultural Plaza can help bring new energy and economic activity into Chinatown while remaining a place that celebrates the cultures and traditions that have made this community so special.”

Six Chinese organizations designed and built the 3.97-acre Chinatown Cultural Plaza in 1974. Taiwan purchased the property in 1979 through China Airlines and Longevity International Enterprises Corporation has 

The center, located at 100 N. Beretania St., is bordered by River Street, Kukui Street and Maunakea Street. The Mun Lun School is not part of the Chinatown Cultural Center.

In April 2025, Blangiardi told the Chinatown-Downtown neighborhood board that he was “totally dissatisfied … with the state of the cultural plaza,” pointing to disrepair.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, founder of the Chinatown Business and Community Association and chair of the Downtown-Chinatown neighborhood board, told Aloha State Daily Thursday that the “plaza is dilapidated from years of neglect.”

The management company has not adequately addressed maintenance over the years, leading to holes in the ceiling and broken elevators, Shubert-Kwock said. Community members have also seen homeless encampments, drug use and illegal gambling at the plaza.

Shubert-Kwock said that the property managers should be held accountable for failing to maintain the building to proper standards. She expressed concern that tenants will not be compensated for moving before their leases are up and received short notice of the lease terminations, calling it “unfair to tenants.”

 added that she supports the redevelopment project, and said she'd like to see affordable housing, retail, restaurants and public parking at the site. She would also like a large Chinese restaurant at the plaza. The Empress Restaurant opened in 1979 and closed by the end of 2018, leaving a 10,000-square-foot banquet space empty on the second floor of the Chinatown Cultural Center and eliminating a banquet space for community gatherings, she noted.

, co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and chairman of 

, said that the plaza was beautiful when it was first built, but “slowly, gradually deteriorated” after it was sold to Taiwan.

“The problem is mismanagement,” Flores said. “Nobody cares. I’ve never seen a property so mismanaged in my life.”

Flores said that the redevelopment could bring affordable housing, retail, a community center and a large Chinese restaurant to the plaza.

“We’re looking forward to the future. People are afraid to go there at nighttime," he said.

Flores gave Blangiardi an “A+” for advocating for change in Chinatown. He said that Chinatown has been a center of business activity, community and historical significance, and the area could be a tourist attraction second to Waikīkī with investment.

According to the City and County of Honolulu, preliminary work at the plaza will include environmental impact assessments and archaeological studies, followed by demolition of existing structure and requests for redevelopment proposals.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu stated in a news release Friday that the redevelopment ushers in a new chapter for the Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

TECO identified Longevity International Enterprises Corp. as the owner of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, and stated that owners agreed to redevelop the plaza to align with the City and County of Honolulu’s efforts to promote the development of Chinatown.

“The redevelopment aims to create a modern, safe, and vibrant new landmark with stronger Taiwanese characteristics, while continuing to serve the community and function as a bridge connecting Taiwan and Hawaii,” TECO stated in the news release

It’s not clear how the demolition and reconstruction will impact local events like the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Hawaiʻi Chinatown Peace Festival, formerly called the Buddha Peace Festival, used to be held at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza and has moved to Maunakea Marketplace in recent years.

Tenants were given a notice of lease termination and must vacate the premises by March 31, 2027, per the county.

Sandy’s Café has been open since 2020, and the restaurant’s lease is up in 2028, owner Henry Cheng said Thursday. The restaurant is in a good location, he said, adding that increased security could deter homeless people and improve conditions.

Cheng said that tearing down the plaza could mean the end to the businesses that set up shop there.

Eva Chen, one of the owners of Lee Ho Fook Restaurant, has been operating the restaurant out of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza for 30 years. She does not currently have plans to relocate, and her son, Matthew Wu, said that his parents want to take a break when the lease ends in March and may reopen in the future.

Wu said that the plaza seemed thriving and livelier when he was younger, but has turned into a “ghost town” in the last five years.

Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam said by email Thursday, “My priority is making sure the existing tenants receive clear communication, timelines and expectations as this project moves forward. I want the City to be a partner in supporting these businesses as much as possible and will continue advocating for our small businesses throughout this process. I hope the redevelopment will contribute to a stronger, more vibrant Chinatown while recognizing the important role these longtime businesses play in our community.”

Chinatown Cultural Plaza

<title>UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped</title>

The center, owned by the Taiwan government, will be demolished and redeveloped after a years-long push by the City and County of Honolulu to improve the site. Over the past 50 years, Chinatown Cultural Plaza has “carried forward our unique cultural traditions and preserved the shared memories of Honolulu,” said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. Its tenants received end of lease termination notices and must vacate the premises by the end of March 2027.

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