Nonprofit against rebuilding of Coco Palms resort hosting event Sunday to ‘empower’ community

A nonprofit group that has been leading efforts to stop Utah-based Reef Capital Partners from redeveloping the Coco Palms resort will host an event on Sunday to educate people about why the property and the area is an important part of Native Hawaiian history. 

The “Celebration of Wailua” is being put on by I Ola Wailuanui, and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wailua River Marina, about half a mile from the main entrance of the Coco Palms property.

Mason Chock, board vice president and co-founding member of I Ola Wailuanui, said Friday that the event’s purpose is to help educate people about the rich history of Wailua and highlight some of the concerns about the hotel, especially the cultural aspects.

It also will honor past and present stewards and those with ancestral connections to Wailua.

“My hope is that the community is empowered by reconnecting to our history and our culture and the significance of Wailua in a way that gives them tools to participate in its future, and … creating a vision that we can all collectively agree upon,” Chock said.

“Because if we don’t as a community gather and not only celebrate but highlight those things that are important to us, then we will continue to be subjected to those things that come from outside.”

The event starts with moʻolelo storytelling, which will include the historical and cultural significance of the area. In the 19th century, the resort was home to Kauaʻi’s last queen, Deborah Kapule. It’s also the site of the island’s oldest coconut grove, ancient fishponds and burial sites.

Kuʻualoha Hoʻomanawanui, a Native Hawaiian author and professor at the University of Hawaiʻi, was scheduled to lead that portion, but she had to cancel due to illness. Chock said the organization is acquiring a replacement speaker. 

It also will include Wahipana (legendary place) storytelling with Mark Jeffers, “who has some ‘ōlelo (language) to share about Wailua,” Chock said. 

The last hour will include a “community action” component from Andre Perez, described as an activist and organizer “recognized for his work towards cultural preservation and Hawaiian liberation,” according to Koʻihonua – another nonprofit dedicated to “keeping Hawaiian lands Hawaiian lands” 

I Ola Wailuanui advocates to “protect and restore” the sacred lands of Wailuanuiaho‘ano, where Coco Palms is located, according to its website. 

For years, the group has tried to have the site converted into an agricultural park, with a Hawaiian cultural center, to prioritize its environmental, historical and cultural significance. 

But after more than 30 years of the property sitting abandoned following a string of failed attempts to rebuild, development now is underway on the planned 350-room resort. And also continuing is ongoing litigation about ownership of the property.

Attorney Teresa (Teri) Tico, a legal consultant for I Ola Wailuanui, previously said this litigation could put the property back up for auction — giving the group another opportunity to purchase it. 

“I hope it gives the community an opportunity to be a part of what happens to this property,” she said of the case earlier this month. 

But it’s a challenge. The last time the property was available at auction, in 2021, Reef Capital Partners bought it for $22 million when it was the only bidder.

Chock confirmed his organization has recently received additional funding to support their efforts in the last few months, in the form of grants from different organizations, bringing its war chest to “not quite half a million, but headed there.”

While he concedes it’s not enough to buy the hotel, he said it is enough to “not only stay afloat but to help serve our mission.”

Chock declined to provide the source of the funding because there are multiple funders and he doesn’t want “to miss anyone.” 

Meanwhile, developer Reef Capital Partners has repeatedly emphasized that their planned hotel will have an emphasis on Wailua’s culture and history, with a “cultural advisory committee” that is advising them on local issues. 

At a Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Reef Capital attorney Keola Whittaker was asked to provide more information about the advisory committee. He said the committee has recently been re-engaged.

“I don’t know their meeting schedule, but they regularly provide advice,” he said, adding he would need to follow up with the commission to provide more details. He also said there will be a website soon with information about the committee. 

However, Chock suggested that Reef Capital’s committee is not active.

“I mean, who is it?” he said. “I followed through on some of them [named members], and some of them said that they hadn’t been contacted or didn’t know anything about it, really.”

In a recent Instagram post, I Ola Wailuanui wrote that “building on this land not only disrespects its sacredness, but will also severely impact traffic, the ʻāina itself, and contribute to the already terrible sewage and flooding issues, jeopardizing the future of this irreplaceable area.” 

Chock says the organization is currently working on creating a database that talks about the different significant places in Wailua, as well as considering other events in the future as a “call to action” and “means to engage the community.”