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Defunding civic hub would be setback town can’t afford

The Maui Redevelopment Agency was established in 1964 because the county recognized the deterioration of the town and the need to revitalize it to draw patrons to the area. The MRA didn’t get active until 2000, so work on making effective changes has been going on for nearly 20 years.

To date, the county has spent several millions dollars and utilized many resources carrying out the charge of the MRA’s purpose. Years of work by many has gone into planning a project that has been identified as a catalytic project that will be an anchor for a commitment to change, to engage property owners to put in their own funds. Several have already taken the financial risk with the civic hub at the heart of economical development opportunity. The Wailuku Opportunity Zone was created to assist stakeholders in generating improvements on their properties.

The County Council considered defunding the project. There are many issues that won’t be solved if the project is defunded. Adequate parking will still be an unresolved issue. Blight will continue to happen if spaces aren’t rented and owners don’t have the funds to reinvest in property improvements that can generate higher tax revenue for the county. New businesses won’t come to town if revitalization and vibrancy doesn’t exist. Reverting backward to reverse this funding is a setback the town cannot afford to risk.

“The right time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.” We can’t afford another 20 years to pass with no outcome.

Kristin Holmes

Wailuku

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