The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-06-16
THE IDEA Of
A CIVIC CENTER
Honolulu, June 10, 1911.

Honolulu, June 10, 1911.
Editor Star: | notice from reading
| the papers that there seems to be a
| difference Of opinion in regard to the
exact meaning and the true definition
of the term civic CENTER" and as
have read a great deal upon this sub
ject | would beg to give my idea of
its meaning.
And in the first place, I would say
that this term is used to express, in
some small degree, the gigantic
movement that is now being felt
throughout the United States for
establishing an idealistic state Of
things in regard to placing or Of
grouping of government buildings
about, what for a better term, is
called civic center. This civic cen
ter, as I understand it, might be the
capital, and from this central point
would be ranged all the other great
government structures, and having
no private property intervening
about or between them The govern
ment building in Washington D. c.,
is an instance of what can be done
in this direction, and the effect Is
said to be superb, and beautiful be-
yond anything in the whole world.
And there are dozens of other cities
in the United States and in Europe
and Canada that contemplate doing
the same thing, and the work on
some of them is already under way.
In fact it would be impossible to
estimate the immense amount OF
money that will he spent in the near
future to make this change but it is
known that one city alone will
spend twenty millions, and another
twelve millions, to carry out this
idea, and many others will follow
their example.
Now the question is whether Ho-
nOlulu shall follow this line of prog
ress and civic beauty, or whether she
shall fall into the retrograde move
ment and place her great public
buildings in haphazard, irregular and
unbecoming situations. It may also
be a fine point whether we tear down
some of the finest structures in the
city, in place of a lot of unsightly
shacks that are a disgrace to the CITY,
but we do not think so. l should
like to say a few more words in re-
| gard to the meaning of the civic cen
ter, and that is, say, that it does not
mean the business center of a city
so much as a place or point in it,
such as the capital of state, and
around which shall be placed the gov.
eminent buildings in a systematic
orderly, idealistic and beautiful man
ner, and to the exclusion of all pri
vate property And this, I may say
is the consensus of opinion of all the
highest authorities of the world or
architecture, engineering and civic
beauty of cities. l would also wish
to say that but very few of the PEG
pie have any idea of the immense
amount Of Thought that is being giver
to this subject, or do they know that
almost all of these authorities have
come to the same conclusion as tt
the beauty, utility, practicability anj
general usefulness of this civic cen
, ter idea. And I would say that We
should take a far-sighted view of thi.
Federal site proposition, and neithe,
be governed by selfishness, self-inter
est or prejudice in deciding this ques
ton. 1t is true that the Mahuka sit,
would be the more convenient jus
now, but how will it be when hun
dreds of thousands of people will 81
added to our population and whei
Waikiki shall be as densely populated
as the heart of our city is now?
And this is what We have to con
slider, to say nothing of the civil
beauty of the city. Very truly yours
GEORGE OSBORNE.
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NHBRH -