A day after Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell reaffirmed his ardent support for the construction project at Sherwood Forest, the mayor announced the discovery of iwi at the site and said work would be put on hold “indefinitely.”

Construction crews had just resumed excavation at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park on Monday morning after prolonged protests from community members. That afternoon, they found a 3-inch upper arm bone fragment within the project area, according to the mayor.

Caldwell announced the finding in the middle of a press conference about COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon.

“All work in the area of the fragment was stopped, in about a 100-foot area around the fragment,” he said. “Right now, construction continues in areas away from the bone fragment.”

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The mayor said the city’s archeological firm would talk with the state’s historic preservation division and members of Save Our Sherwoods, a nonprofit opposed to the project, to discuss next steps.

Within hours, Caldwell posted a statement on his Facebook page stating he would put the project on ice.

He said the historic preservation division allows a project to move forward when there is an “inadvertent find,” as long as there is a protective buffer around the area and temporary protective measures are taken.

However, the mayor indicated his decision to halt the project had to do with COVID-19.