It’s a wrap: Performing arts group finalizes buy of Main Street property
MAPA now has room to grow in Wailuku
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The Maui Academy of Performing Arts has completed the $5.75 million purchase of the two-building Main Street Promenade property in Wailuku, the 42-year-old nonprofit group announced Monday.
The 35,622-square-foot property, which currently houses businesses and restaurants, is nearly three times the size of MAPA's current 13,000-square-foot space across the street in the old National Dollar Store at 2027 Main St. The Promenade property, with buildings at 2020 and 2050 Main St., was purchased from Robert and Lisa Joslin, whose children participated in MAPA programs.
The plan is to renovate the space for a small theater, rehearsal studios, classrooms, production spaces for costume and scene shops and administrative offices, the MAPA news release said.
"MAPA is excited to realize the next steps in a long-held dream of establishing our educational and artistic home," said David C. Johnston, MAPA executive and artistic director. "The Promenade property is the next building block for conceptualizing and creating a campus to accommodate the full range of MAPA's educational and artistic needs."
A U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development loan with a low 2.375 percent interest rate made the purchase possible, said Peggy Harmon, director of development for MAPA, on Monday. Funds from leases, which Peake & Levoy are managing, are paying the note.
Included in the USDA loan is the refinance of MAPA's USDA loan for its National Dollar space, which will cut payments in half, and the renovation of the 75-year-old 2020 Main St. building, Harmon said. The renovation will include a structural redo, which will maintain the integrity of the building.
Though the building is not on any historic registry, "we feel it is important to keep the integrity of the building, because there is something so wonderful about the Wailuku buildings," she said.
"It does give us an opportunity to save that building," while also helping to create an arts district in town that's part of the vision of ReWailuku, an effort between the county and the Wailuku Community Association to revitalize businesses and facilities.
"We are thrilled about what this means for Wailuku," said MAPA Board President Virginia Cantorna. "We believe that Wailuku is poised for a period of dynamic growth and that the performing arts will be central in creating a vibrant community. MAPA looks forward to working with the County of Maui, Maui OnStage, Wailuku Community Association, and the other Wailuku artists and businesses in creating the flagship arts district of Maui."
A key piece in the renovation will be the creation of a small playhouse for productions not appropriate for a large venue like the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater. MAPA used to have that small venue, the Steppingstone Playhouse, upstairs at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center, Harmon said. Smaller productions were held there for a decade until 2015, when MAPA had to vacate the space.
"We haven't been able to do our smaller productions," said Harmon, noting MAPA has been putting on one major show a year at the MACC. "We will finally have a small space that will allow us to do those smaller shows."
MAPA officials said at a Wailuku meeting in June that it would be a 250-seat theater.
The path to MAPA's acquisition of the space in the wake of the loss of the Steppingstone Playhouse was almost serendipitous. MAPA had decided that it wanted the smaller theater to be in Wailuku, and Cantorna noticed that the Promenade property was on the market after perusing the Realtors Association of Maui Multiple Listings Service. MAPA officials checked out the buildings in February, said Harmon.
The property was owned by the Joslins, whose children had participated in MAPA programs. The family also helped MAPA with the initial renovations of the Steppingstone Playhouse, said Harmon.
"At first, it was 'How could we possibly do this?' " but MAPA looked into obtaining a USDA loan. "We had to jump through major hoops" to get the loan, but succeeded, she said.
MAPA began as an after-school drama program in 1974. It serves more than 25,000 children, teens and adults through programs that include live theater and performing arts residencies.
The nonprofit organization offers dance, drama and singing classes in Wailuku and in a Lahaina satellite facility for 700 to 800 students; school educational programs and theater tours with grade-level study guides; and community productions, such as "Jekyll & Hyde The Musical" in August.
* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.