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Community Facilities
Involve
High
TBD
Design
County
State
County & State
Private
King Kamehameha III School
“Working with the State for more/improved public school and public library facilities. More county parks. Places for teens to hangout. Restore/return natural flow of water mauka to makai.”
Community Quote from Long-Term Planning Recovery Survey
Purpose
Two important, high-priority community facilities were lost during the August 2023 wildfires and need to be rebuilt:
- King Kamehameha III Elementary School
- Lahaina Public Library
The site of King Kamehameha III Elementary School is located immediately adjacent to the shoreline and exposed to coastal hazards. The school was also built on top of important Native Hawaiian cultural sites. Due to sea level rise, safety for students and staff and consideration for historical and cultural significance of the space, the school needs a new location to rebuild.
The Lahaina Public Library was heavily used by the public on a daily basis and needs to be replaced to serve the community. However, the library is located on a culturally significant site, King Kamehameha III’s royal loʻi kalo, which the community desires to restore; therefore a new location for the library is needed.
Project Description
These projects are separate and independent, and neither have definitive locations or designs as of the publishing of this plan. The first is the permanent school replacement for King Kamehameha III which involves the identification of a permanent site to build a replacement for King Kamehameha III Elementary School. The second is the Lahaina Public Library replacement, which will identify a new site for the library. This project also involves discussions and planning for the long-term use of the ‘āina in the original facility locations for community benefit. King Kamehameha III Elementary School and the Lahaina Public Library are both currently located along the Lahaina coast on Native Hawaiian culturally significant sites. The community has expressed interest in establishing a cultural corridor encompassing the ʻāina of these sites to serve cultural practitioners, provide opportunities for community education, rewrite the narrative of these spaces, and elevate the visitor experience in correct cultural management practices.
Lahaina Public Library
Interdependencies and Roadblocks
For the replacement of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, locating a new school will require direct community outreach to families of former student along with staff and the general public. Schools have a profound impact on the community, and thus should be carefully located to serve students safely and with easy pedestrian and vehicular access. The Lahaina Public Library replacement will require community input and planning. It should be centrally located and easily accessible to all residents of Lahaina and West Maui. Planning for the long-term use of the ‘āina of the original facility sites will require County-State coordination and community outreach to cultural practitioners, generational families and residents of Lahaina. This project will coordinate with the Rebuild Lahaina Plan.
Next Steps
- Identifying new facility sites through community engagement and then starting the design and construction process
- Community engagement for planning of long-term use with original facilities
Project Details
Cost Estimate:
TBD
Existing Funding Sources:
FEMA Public Assistance
Project Lead:
- State Department of Education
- State Libraries System
Potential Funding Sources:
TBD
Project Partners:
- County Department of ʻŌiwi Resources
- Local community groups
Alignment with West Maui Community Plan (WMCP)
- Goal 2.5 Safe, healthy, livable communities for all