Whatever the city decides to do with Block J, it must not renege on its long-forgotten promise to put a park at Smith and Beretania streets. The buildings were developed, but not the park. Instead, money designated for it was spent by the city for something else. The new deal calls for an underground parking area with 140 spaces topped by a park, replacing the existing 120-stall parking lot. Whatever modifications the city allows in the Block J development, its credibility is on the line with the promised park.
Economic conditions change.
What might have made good economic sense to the city and real estate developers at one time might not look so good today. But a promise is a promise. Downtown Honolulu's residents have waited far too long for the promise of a park to be fulfilled . Whatever happens with this last, crucial parcel of the long-running Kukui Redevelopment Project, this is a promise that must be kept. The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co .