HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

292

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

RECOGNIZING THE NUUANU-LILIHA CORRIDOR AS THE NUUANU-LILIHA HISTORIC CORRIDOR.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the Nuuanu-Liliha area was recently selected as the Historic Corridor for the Island of Oahu in a recent publication; a corridor which extends from the Pali Lookout, through Chinatown and ending at Honolulu Harbor; the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor uniquely reflects the three major eras of Hawaii's dynamic history, from pre-unification of the islands by Kamehameha the Great, to the monarchy period, and finally to the pre-Statehood era; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor reflects all of Hawaii from the Battle of Nuuanu in which Kamehameha the Great unified the islands, through its myriad of multicultural temples, its quaint "frozen in time" mom and pop stores from the 1940s and 1950s pre-Statehood days and through Honolulu Harbor, which received many of our multi-ethnic immigrants for over a century; this corridor houses most obviously some of the most important natural and cultural resources of our State and nation; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor houses one of only three royal palaces in the nation as well as the location where King Kamehameha defeated his last opponent and unified the Hawaiian islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, the corridor abounds with sites that enjoy the distinction of being listed on either the State or National Historic Registry, or both, including the Queen Emma Summer Palace and Grounds, the Sanju Pagoda, and the Prince David Kawananakoa Playground; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Liliha neighborhood, named for High Chiefess Kuini Liliha, once the governor of Oahu, is just northwest of downtown Honolulu and has a history as long and varied as the generations of immigrants who settled there to be close to Honolulu's jobs but distant enough to live affordably; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor is said to be the birthplace of saimin, and the home of the first and original L&L Drive-In, now an international chain, which opened on Liliha Street in 1959; and

 

     WHEREAS, the area is home to many religious denominations:  the Maemae Chapel (1863); Young Buddhist Association (1900); Luke's Episcopal Church (1903); and the Korean Christian Church (1918); and

 

     WHEREAS, the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor is one of the State's healthiest neighborhoods, with Kuakini Health Systems, Hawaii Medical Center, Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, and almost two dozen other medical clinics and therapy centers; and

 

     WHEREAS, Chinatown is a vibrant part of the community and made up of many ethnic groups who take pride in carrying on the tradition and culture of their respective home countries; Chinatown has a rich history in entrepreneurial activity and business enterprise, which continues to benefit the State and its communities to this day; Chinatown is the gateway to Hawaii for many immigrants and has been recognized by the White House Advisory Council on Historical Preservation as a Preserve America Community Neighborhood; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature recognizes the Nuuanu-Liliha corridor as the Nuuanu-Liliha Historic Corridor; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this recognition is non-regulatory in nature and is for the purpose of fostering civic pride of, encouraging good stewardship of, and further marketing the area's resources to its residents and visitors; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of Transportation, each member of the Legislature of the State of Hawaii who represents residents of the Nuuanu-Liliha historic corridor, and the Executive Director of the Neighborhood Commission of the City and County of Honolulu, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the Chairperson of any Neighborhood Board with jurisdiction over issues relating to the Nuuanu-Liliha historic corridor area.

Report Title: 

Nuuanu-Liliha Historic Corridor