Members of the Kalihi community met Thursday night to discuss the future of the Kapalama Canal.

The city is proposing to add a linear park to the area, complete with new open spaces, waterfront promenades and a pedestrian bridge. Twenty million dollars has already been set aside for the project for the design and construction phases.

“The vision has been around for quite some time in the community,” said Honolulu City Council member Joey Manahan. “We’ve actually been working on it since the ’50s. We went into the planning stages when we also had vision teams, but now with transit oriented development, it will be coming closer to reality.”

Manahan says planning and design could start as early as next year.

The city is exploring waterfront promenades, gathering places, complete street improvements to Kokea and Kohou streets, green infrastructure, and water quality improvements.

The Kapalama Canal project is the result of various community plans, including the Kalihi-Palama Action Plan and the Kalihi Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Plan.

Click here for more information.