Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 10, 1 October 2001 — Pau Hana purchase on horizon [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pau Hana purchase on horizon

By Naomi Sodetani

Against all odds, Moloka'i residents' dream ofbuying the island's beloved Pau Hana Inn is not pau.

Despite daunting setbacks, the tiny community is one step closer to claiming the historic kama'āina landmark as the first community-owned hotel in the state. Recently, Moloka'i residents turned out their pockets to raise S20,000 required by the Pau Hana property landowner, Moloka'i Ranch. to extend the purchase eontract until Oct. 19. The Honolulu-based firm C&K Hawai'i, whieh negotiated the purchase contract with the Ranch earlier this year. is working in col!aboration with the nonprofit organization Pau Hana 'Ohana, whieh is coordinating the community's drive to purchase and reopen the inn. The 'ohana cleared a big hurdle in May, when it got the property zoned for commercial use. Now, the group faces the mammoth task of raising $995,000 in five weeks to purchase the 40-room hotel and its 3.5-acre oceanfront property. The 'ohana is currently negotiating with government agencies and private foundations interested in funding community-based eeonomie development projects. But as a back-up, the group is creating a partnership offering shares for those interested in supporting the community's effort. About $350,000 has been committed by charter investors to date. "We decided to offer smaller funding units for people around the state who are public spirited and want to assist our community in its goal to really do something good," says DeGray Vanderbilt, an 'ohana board member. Although charter investors seem mainly prompted by a philanthropic urge, the "perk" of garnering a 20 percent interest rate for short-term investors and 50 nights of free rooms "that ean be given away to family, friends and associates is not too shabby," Vanderbilt says. The residents' quest began in 1999 when the ranch put the property up for sale. To keep the inn alive, the community has rallied an impressive outpouring of support from beyond the island's shores. Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono praised the residents' valiant "effort to eome together as a community to

preserve and protect this legacy. If the inn were to close its doors," she said, "kama'āinas and tourists from all over the world would miss its charming, eclectic style." Master chef Sam Choy has pledged to help design and build a revamped kitchen that would equip the hotel to serve as a handson learning environment for students at the Maui Community College Education Center on Moloka'i where students will be able to pursue studies in culinary arts, hotel management and landscape design. Originally built in 1946 as the Seaside Inn, the 40-room hotel, a collection of rustic plantationstyle buildings on the shoreline near Kaunakakai Wharf has long been the locals' favorite watering hole and humbly appointed landmark where generations have eelebrated rites of passage; their graduation parties, baby lū'aus, wedding and retirement parties. "Pau Hana is part of what makes Moloka'i special," says Matthew Adolpho, a medical technician and 'ohana board member. "It's served as our island's central gathering plaee for over 50 years and represents something our island cannot afford to lose," he said. "The plan we're pursuing gives the eommunity control and will ensure Pau Hana is preserved for future generations." According to the 'ohana's num-ber-crunching, community ownership will ensure the provision of 45 hotel jobs whieh represents, according to state labor stats, 11.25 percent of the island's 400 member unemployed work force. The kama'āina landmark will also provide a retail venue for locally-made arts and crafts, whieh will benefit from a slice of the $2 million anticipated to flow from direct visitor spending

by Pau Hana guests. Moreover, all profits from the hotel will be reinvested into the community to provide about $150,000 in funding for the island's youth, human services, environmental and educational programs. In keeping with Moloka'i's federal designation as a "rural enterprise community," the inn's purchase exemplifies residents' vision to

develop eeonomie self-sufficiency while cherishing their cultural heritage. "This project means a lot to Moloka'i," Vanderbilt says. "It's about a community trying to help itself." ■ Those interested in assisting the Moloka 'i community or who neeā additional information ean contact the Pau Hana 'Ohana office at 808-558-0228 or

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MOLOKA'I MEN ON A MISSION: Pau Hana 'Ohana board members Matthew Adolpho, DeGray Vanderbilt and Waipa Purdy in front of the country inn they are determined to turn into the state's first community-owned hotel.

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