Standing Tall
Our neighborhoods are changing, but some things still stick out.
You know the buildings I’m talking about, even if the name Century Park Plaza doesn’t ring a bell. Central O‘ahu’s twin towers—the only condos higher than seven stories in Pearl City—are a whopping 43 floors and visible from the freeway for miles.
For years, I’ve wondered about these wildly out-of-place skyscrapers, protruding far above their neighbors. How are they allowed to be that tall? And if they’re legit, why aren’t there more of them? It seems like a no-brainer that more towering dwellings would have shot up to accommodate the island’s growing population.
Photo: Katrina Valcourt
A recent drive along Kamehameha Highway took me right past one of the towers, and it was even taller than I thought. Turns out that before many of Kaka‘ako’s newer condos sprang up, the two buildings were among the tallest on the island at about 400 feet. They were built in the early ’80s, but as more zoning laws and land use ordinances came along, the height limits in many areas were capped at 60 feet, leaving Century Park Plaza rising well above the rest.
Whether people like them or not, they’re defining features of the neighborhood, just like the circular Kaimukī Jade apartment building that also feels out of place.
Those laws and ordinances are changing again. In October 2022, parts of ‘Aiea and Pearl City were rezoned to accommodate transit-oriented development, bringing the limit up to as high as 250 feet in some areas for mixed-use buildings. The director’s report accompanying the ordinance notes that the Century Park Plaza buildings “do not block the panoramic view of the Wai‘anae Range,” and any new buildings that qualify for a bonus height would still be “150 feet shorter than Century Park Plaza. Therefore, the proposed heights are not expected to impede the view cone.” These bonus heights would be granted to places that offer community benefits such as affordable housing, parks or “facilities that enhance the pedestrian experience.”
SEE ALSO: O‘ahu’s Great Neighborhoods
As someone who supports more housing, especially as part of mixed-use buildings, I think this is good news. We have to build somewhere, so creating better-connected communities along the rail line makes the most sense.
But I can’t help but get sad about the prospect of these towers no longer standing out on my long drives to and from the West Side. Whether people like them or not, they’re defining features of the neighborhood, just like the circular Kaimukī Jade apartment building that also feels out of place. (I always laugh at the story of how writer Guy de Maupassant hated the Eiffel Tower so much, he would eat at its café every day—the one place in the city where he couldn’t see it.) They’re quirky and unique. If a bunch of 30-story buildings pop up nearby, the towers won’t be as special.
It’s not like I have a personal tie to these apartments. And nostalgia can be the enemy of progress. But as O‘ahu continues to look and feel different, seemingly with each passing month, I hope our neighborhoods can retain at least some of their distinct character.
