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Imagine a state corporation with the power to buy property and develop it according to the corporation’s own rules. The entity could acquire land against the will of owners through eminent domain and issue bonds to pay for it. Financing would go through a special fund outside the standard budget process. 

The corporation’s first task would be to redevelop Lahaina. 

Hawaii lawmakers have introduced bills to create this corporation, called the , to help rebuild Lahaina. And while the Cultural Corridor Authority, House Bill 2693, appears to have little support — a sign of the challenge legislators face trying to develop policies to address rebuilding Lahaina — lawmakers have introduced several bills this session that envision Lahaina’s redevelopment. They include a Senate bill similar to the cultural corridor measure, which is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday.

would put Lahaina’s redevelopment into the hands of the , which is best known for building Kakaako into a posh seaside community of luxury condos. The bill, which would create a new nine-member Lele Community District, is co-sponsored by Sen. Angus McKelvey, who represents Lahaina, and Senate Ways and Means Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz, a long-time supporter of expanding HCDA’s powers.

The bill is slated for a hearing by the Senate Energy, Environment and Tourism Committee and the Water and Land Committee on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

McKelvey has introduced another bill to  and allocate the tax revenue to Lahaina’s recovery. The Maui senator is also proposing , which would “support economic development and diversification by increasing access to capital for businesses, farms, intellectual property creators, and renewable technologies within Lahaina.” 

A proposed  would enhance transparency about the recovery effort in general. Among other things, the commission would require independent annual reports on things like the status of rebuilding housing, schools, infrastructure and the well-being of Maui residents impacted by the fires.

 would appropriate state money for “prefabricated, modular, or kauhale-type housing for individuals impacted by the Lahaina wildfire.”

The question is whether any of these ideas will fare better than the Cultural Corridor Authority. Even with apparent local support, a measure can stall, given the politically charged question of how to rebuild the former capital of the Hawaiian kingdom. 

The Cultural Corridor Authority bill, for instance, seemed to have substantial buy-in. It had been formulated by members of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen’s five-member , the measure’s sponsor, House Speaker Scott Saiki, said in an interview.

A key proponent, Saiki said, was Archie Kalepa, a waterman who recently led thousands of people on a Lahaina unity march. 

But the measure mustered almost no support at its first legislative hearing last week. Kalepa didn’t show up to testify. And only he and a few others submitted written testimony in support.

By contrast, dozens testified against the bill in person or submitted written testimony opposing it. The opposition was so overwhelming, in fact, that the chair of the House Water and Land Committee, Rep. Linda Ichiyama, announced she was going to spike the bill before oral testimony even took place.

Kalepa didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Even though the bill was roundly rejected by many Lahaina residents, Saiki said it was good to start a public dialogue about rebuilding.

“It’s important to raise these issues because these are things that are going to have to be answered at some point,” Saiki said.

Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who sponsored a Cultural Corridor Authority  in the Senate, said lawmakers want to help Lahaina. But he said they will also listen to what the community wants before moving anything forward.

“It’s up to them,” he said.

While the Cultural Corridor Authority bill stalled, another Lahaina-related bill has gotten traction. The measure would require the state to take over privately owned water systems through eminent domain and provide tax credits to owners who turned over their systems voluntarily. 

 is meant to address a situation in which 75% of water resources on Maui are provided by private water systems. 

Paele Kiakona, Courtney Lazo and Jordan Ruidas of the organization Lahaina Strong were among numerous supporters. They testified that “wildfires that ravaged our town were fueled by a combination of factors, including the private water diversion systems that played a significant role in altering the natural landscape of Lahaina over the last century.”

Having the government in charge would be a “proactive step toward encouraging responsible water management practices,” they said. 

Dawn Chang, chair of the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources, said in written testimony that the state doesn’t have the capacity to manage Maui’s water systems and therefore opposed the bill. But the House Water and Land Committee pushed the bill forward anyway, based on a groundswell of support. 

Local Panel Would Oversee Lele Community District

The bill to put the Hawaii Community Development Authority in charge of redeveloping Lahaina also might have a better chance than the Cultural Corridor Authority bill. In many ways, the Cultural Corridor Authority would be similar to the HCDA, with the power to create its own rules and acquire land through eminent domain. 

But a key difference involves governance. A point of criticism against the Cultural Corridor Authority is that it would be run primarily by a group of political appointees largely based in Honolulu. By contrast, the HCDA bill would set up a nine-member Lele Community District board composed of Lahaina residents and business owners.

The Lele Community District’s goals would include developing a significant number of affordable homes, a business sector that includes tourism and schools, parks, gathering places, and ocean-based recreation. But ultimately the board would be in charge.

Jim Davis, a Lahaina resident and small business owner whose home and production studio were destroyed in the fires, opposed the Cultural Corridor Authority bill in part because he was worried the authority would take over his property and force him to leave. The Lahaina-centric authority board gives him more comfort, although he said he still wants to study the bill further.

“It sounds almost exciting,” said Davis, a self-described Type-A personality who said he’s anxious to get back to Lahaina, rebuild his home near Front Street and resume life.

“We have a to look at it in a hopeful way, and not just skeptical that people are out to get us,” he added.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.