Pocket Park or Garden Across Palace Theater
The vacant lot across from the Palace Theater would make a good pocket park or community garden. Who owns the property? Would the owner consider turning it into a park or garden?
EDH 2025 Primary Focus Area: Preserving Our Environment
Secondary Focus Area: Strengthening and Sustaining Our Community
January 27, 2012 (last changed June 25, 2012)
Top Comments
If the owner is willing, this parcel could be purchased with funding from the Hawaii County set aside to preseve open spaces. No parcel in South Hilo is on the list.
Anything beautiful and vital here would unify the Downtown Area. Right now this lot is like a big open sore. I would like to see a recycle park that could take valuable resources from the Downtown businesses. . . not Hi5 containers since these are already being captured. . . but things like food scraps that could be made into compost for the Let’s Grow Hilo crew.
Any progress on contacting the owners?
How about a Peace Garden. One source of income might be County of Hawaii Public Access Open Space Natural Resources Preservation fund as a means of purchasing the land. 2% of our real property taxes are placed in this fund. http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/boards-and-commissions
Hopefully DIA is making a connection with the landowner.
Aloha kakou!
Yes, some creativity just might fill several needs. Perhaps a garden with handicapped, motorcycle/scooter, and bicycle parking.
Motorcycles and scooters can tuck into oddly-shaped corners and go up narrow pathways between garden plantings.
When I was in Germany, every train station and bus terminal we went to had bike racks on walls. The bikes were hung by the front wheels and there was a loop cemented into the ground, rather like our iron loops for tying horses, through which you could run a chain to lock your bike. There were also public bikes available. I don’t know if there were rentals or you just picked them up and returned them at the next station.
how about a Bike parking lot… so there is somewhere in town that is specially designed to host the bike communters. For example, those who work in downtown, and communte to work by bike, we end up using the two or so bike racks in front of our place of work, occupying them, and making it harder for customers on bike to access the store… and, none of these bike-parking areas are COVERED, and so when it’s raining, we are forced to park our bikes in the rain… bummerS!
There are several potential projects that have been suggested on that lot over the many years, including a park and/or garden, especially since Let’s Grow Hilo! has improved so many of the underutilized or unused small spaces in Downtown with edible landscaping.
One of the projects we’ve heard in the past is for a parking lot and I’d like to suggest that it might be possible to create a garden and a parking area, we just have to be creative. I’ve got pictures of that lot and can post them if you like.
We are working on connecting with the owner to offer assistance in doing something positive to improve the area based on the community’s input we’ve gathered here and during EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025. Anybody else have any ideas or thoughts about that lot?
Aloha All,
Here’s an update on progress for this concept. I have taken on the role of chair for the DIA Beautification Committee (BC) and we presented the idea to the DIA Board. They are VERY familiar with the concept because it has been around a long time and continue to be supportive The BC got permission to develop an application to the Open Space Commission with DIA taking the lead. Katrin Fritzer, an intern with the Planning Department, has been assigned to help. We are working to build momentum over the next few months. The application will go in to the Commission next year.
Right now we are generated letters of support. Even if you expressed support in the past, it is time to renew that expression. So you can submit a letter to me: kristinekubat@hawaii.rr.com In the letter share your ideas/vision for what the park should be like.
Thanks!
Also, I do like the idea of a feng shui garden. I think whatever is there should be very artistic since it’s at the heart of Hilo.
A parking lot would be better than what is there. Perhaps on market days? Could this be a way for some friends of the park entity to raise money? Is there a prohibition against a grass parking lot. Or how about an incentive for electric vehicles? I had a chance to look at the TMK map and all of what you see is not a single parcel. There’s a fat entrance and a stubby dog-leg going off to the left as you are facing the parcel. It’s easy to see when you look at how the concrete is poured.
What do you think about a Feng Shui Garden? In working with the cardinal points and its elements and colors, we can create a harmonious and beautiful meeting place. Maybe with recycled Art?
I like the idea of a little community garden, maybe more urban so there can be an area for bike parking! What do you think about a trellis to separate the pocket garden from the big parking lot behind it. Students of landscape architecture from my university in Germany created one out of wood with flower patterns (look at picture above). “Let’s grow Hilo” can be a partner. We can grow beans, bitter melon, eggplant or any other climbing plant. There could be a workshop to build the trellis, of course with Hawaiian flower patternsJ… Any volunteers?
This could hold 4 parking spaces plus greenry
I love the idea of a multiple use park! We need more green areas in Hilo…too many trees being cut down as it is.
Also, any landscape architects out there who could help develop a plan to reuse the concrete that is about to get busted up as part of the Bus Station renovation?????
These chunks of old concrete make excellent landscaping materials.
Combined uses is the way to go. Gardens and reclaiming green waste/food scraps is a natural partnership.
I love this idea community gardens can bring so much life to an area!
If the owner is willing, this parcel could be purchased with funding from the Hawaii County set aside to preseve open spaces. No parcel in South Hilo is on the list.
Anything beautiful and vital here would unify the Downtown Area. Right now this lot is like a big open sore. I would like to see a recycle park that could take valuable resources from the Downtown businesses. . . not Hi5 containers since these are already being captured. . . but things like food scraps that could be made into compost for the Let’s Grow Hilo crew.
Any progress on contacting the owners?
How about a Peace Garden. One source of income might be County of Hawaii Public Access Open Space Natural Resources Preservation fund as a means of purchasing the land. 2% of our real property taxes are placed in this fund. http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/boards-and-commissions
Hopefully DIA is making a connection with the landowner.
Parking is always an issue in downtown. A nicely landscaped small parking area for even 6-10 cars, plus bicycles/scooters, would be a huge imrovement over the deserted eyesore it is today. What incentives might entice the owner to do something along these lines? (Presumeably the owner is paying taxes without income from this land to show for it.)
I’d love to help if this happens. Let me know if you need help. you can email me at letsgrowhilo@hotmail.com
Aloha kakou!
Yes, some creativity just might fill several needs. Perhaps a garden with handicapped, motorcycle/scooter, and bicycle parking.
Motorcycles and scooters can tuck into oddly-shaped corners and go up narrow pathways between garden plantings.
When I was in Germany, every train station and bus terminal we went to had bike racks on walls. The bikes were hung by the front wheels and there was a loop cemented into the ground, rather like our iron loops for tying horses, through which you could run a chain to lock your bike. There were also public bikes available. I don’t know if there were rentals or you just picked them up and returned them at the next station.
how about a Bike parking lot… so there is somewhere in town that is specially designed to host the bike communters. For example, those who work in downtown, and communte to work by bike, we end up using the two or so bike racks in front of our place of work, occupying them, and making it harder for customers on bike to access the store… and, none of these bike-parking areas are COVERED, and so when it’s raining, we are forced to park our bikes in the rain… bummerS!
There are several potential projects that have been suggested on that lot over the many years, including a park and/or garden, especially since Let’s Grow Hilo! has improved so many of the underutilized or unused small spaces in Downtown with edible landscaping.
One of the projects we’ve heard in the past is for a parking lot and I’d like to suggest that it might be possible to create a garden and a parking area, we just have to be creative. I’ve got pictures of that lot and can post them if you like.
We are working on connecting with the owner to offer assistance in doing something positive to improve the area based on the community’s input we’ve gathered here and during EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025. Anybody else have any ideas or thoughts about that lot?