During the plantation era in Hawaii, Waipahu was the center of an economic Powerhouse for the state. The whole area provided tons of sugarcane for exports from Hawaii and huge employment for most of the state. 

Theres probably important historical milestones and achievements from the plantation era that could be highlighted in Waipahu. 

I've seen an interesting display of that at the Bishop Museum. But it might be more vivid if the actual sites can be restored. We also have a pretty good marketplace near the old Arakawas department store. Only problem is parking is terrible. Perhaps rail station parking will help mitigate that problem. It would be nice if there were a shuttle moving people around in Waipahu town.

Unfortunately this discussion is too narrow and limited. The whole area near the Waipahu Rail station needs to be rezoned. A lot of affordabl housing could be built in high-rise development in that area.  Now we are only talking about token efforts to address homelessness.