Earth/Sky/Mauka/Makai

KAKAAKO PAVILION UNDERGOES RENOVATIONS

The pavilion at Kakaako Waterfront Park is now neater and safer, thanks to a partnership among Network Enterprises, Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) and Nick Lohr Construction. For three months, job trainees with employment barriers worked with mentors from Nick Lohr Construction to complete a series of renovations to the area.

“We had seen recently that a lot of the tree roots had broken up through the sidewalks and through the bricks,” explains HCDA compliance assurance and community outreach officer Lindsey Doi. “It obviously needed to be replaced for safety reasons.”

With the missing bricks, there were holes in the ground — which could cause park users to trip.

But rather than go the typical route of hiring a contractor, HCDA, which oversees upkeep of the Kakaako park, used the opportunity to support job trainees via Network Enterprises. Network Enterprises is a nonprofit employment agency that provides vocational rehabilitation, job placement and support to people who face physical, social, economic or cognitive challenges. This sort of outreach is something HCDA does regularly, as it also supports other job training programs, including one out of Waikiki Health Center for people staying at Next Step Shelter in Kakaako.

“It serves a dual purpose: We can help the community while maintaining these parks,” Doi says.

“We believe in skills and job training to help people get back on their feet, learn life skills and get back into society,” she adds. “We call it a ‘hand up,’ instead of a ‘hand out.’ A lot of residents could use a hand up in terms of jobs training, so we always like to support programs that offer that.”

The newly renovated pavilion made its debut with a blessing ceremony Feb. 13.

“It was a true technical work experience for our job trainees,” Network Enterprises president and CEO Jennifer Dotson says.

The trainees were responsible for assisting in all stages of the renovation process, including removing materials, installing root barriers and laying bricks. They also had to learn how to go about this while preserving nearby trees. Dotson says Nick Lohr Construction has expressed interest in working with the job trainees in the future.

“The vision is to see these job seekers obtain competitive employment in an integrated setting,” Dotson says.

HCDA anticipates that the renovations will help the area become what it always was intended to be: a communal gathering space.

Dotson, for one, is pleased with the outcome: She enjoys running in the park, and sometimes watches the sunset with her husband there after work.

“It is a beautiful space,” Dotson says.