HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board saw an opportunity to turn an eyesore into something beautiful and meaningful.
For decades, the Makakilo Quarry, owned by Grace Pacific Company and Nan Inc., has been chipping away at Puʻu o Makakilo, leaving behind a massive, ugly rock wall that scars the natural landscape.
This sheer rock face, hundreds of feet high and twice as wide, is visible to thousands of people daily on Oʻahu’s West side.
As the quarry owners requested an extension of the quarry’s life for another 15 years, until 2047, the Neighborhood Board asked the Land Use Commission (LUC) to make this extension contingent on transforming the unsightly wall into a breathtaking carving that honors Native Hawaiian culture.
They proposed a large carving, visible from the nearby Ka Makana Aliʻi shopping center, depicting a person, event, or story significant to Native Hawaiian tradition.
The Board wanted the carving to be a lasting tribute to the original settlers of Hawaiʻi, something that both residents and tourists could admire for generations.
They asked the LUC to make the quarry owners commit to consulting with local Native Hawaiian leaders to design the carving, starting the project by July 2027, and completing it by 2047 or the quarry’s closure, whichever comes first.
The Board also suggested that this project could set a new precedent for other quarries across the islands.
By turning the barren, unattractive back walls of quarries into artistic depictions of Hawaiian history, these sites could become tourist attractions and educational landmarks, preserving and sharing the rich culture of Hawaiʻi.
The Land Use Commission was asked to include this project as a formal condition for the quarry’s continued operation, ensuring that the community’s vision would be realized.