Community members look over the new railing on Front Street in Lahaina during Wednesday’s blessing. The county project included sidewalk repairs, light poles, benches, bike racks and landscaping. Photo courtesy Maui County

About 150 residents and local leaders gathered Wednesday on Front Street in Lahaina for the blessing of a county infrastructure project seen as one step toward restoring business activity following the August 2023 fire.

The Front Street Railing and Walkway Project was blessed during an event held on the 700 block of Front Street with community members and local leaders in attendance. During the ceremony, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the completion of the project will help create the right conditions for businesses to reopen, local jobs to return and private investment to move forward.

“Today’s blessing builds on the significant progress already made in Lahaina’s recovery,” Bissen said. “From clearing more than 1,500 properties and restoring essential infrastructure to engaging the community, developing recovery plans and creating a clear path for businesses to rebuild, each milestone has brought us closer to restoring Lahaina’s commercial heart.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen delivers remarks Wednesday during a blessing for the Front Street Railing and Walkway Project in Lahaina. Photo courtesy Maui County

The project included work mostly on the makai side of Front Street from Lahainaluna Road to Dickenson Street. Crews repaired about 1,450 feet of sidewalk and replaced about 700 feet of railing, along with light poles, benches and planters.

The project also included about 700 feet of sidewalk and stainless-steel railing with an ipe wood topper, 12 light poles, 15 benches, five bike racks and eight landscaping planters with 13 milo trees and ʻākai ground cover, according to the county.

The blessing was led by the Department of ʻŌiwi Resources and facilitated by the Office of the Mayor and the Office of Recovery. The project was completed by the Maui County Department of Public Works.

New benches and landscaping line Front Street in Lahaina. County officials said the project marks another step toward restoring Lahaina’s commercial core. Photo courtesy Maui County

County officials said five commercial permits have been issued for Lahaina, with one project under construction. Two commercial properties are in process, and more than 12 commercial properties are in pre-application consultation.

The county said permitting and approvals in Lahaina’s historic districts are among the most heavily regulated processes in the state, involving federal, state and county rules. Lahaina was the only historic district in the state with buildings constructed over the water, according to the county.

The Department of Public Works completed multiple Front Street projects last year that grew out of a plan first developed in 2015 with public input and consultation. The department has since repaired the seawall and beach access in the 900 block of Front Street, from Baker Street to Papalaua Street, and completed repairs to 750 feet of sidewalk in the same area.