Aloha Tower | |
.jpg) The Aloha Tower has been greeting vessels to port at Honolulu Harbor since September 11, 1926. | |
   | |
| Location | Honolulu, HI |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21°18′25.5″N157°51′57.5″W / 21.307083°N 157.865972°W /21.307083; -157.865972 |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Arthur L. Reynolds |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival, Art Deco[2] |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000660[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 13, 1976 |
TheAloha Tower is a retired lighthouse[3][4] that is considered one of the landmarks of the state ofHawaii in theUnited States. Opened on September 11, 1926, at a cost of $160,000 ($2,805,206 in 2024),[5][6] theAloha Tower is located at Pier 9 ofHonolulu Harbor. It has been, and continues to be, a guiding beacon welcoming vessels to theCity and County of Honolulu. Just as theStatue of Liberty greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year toNew York City, theAloha Tower greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Honolulu. At 10 stories and 184 feet (56 m) of height topped with 40 feet (12 m) of flag mast, for four decades the Aloha Tower was the tallest structure in Hawaii.[5] It was built inthe Hawaiian Gothic architectural style.
When theattack on Pearl Harbor came on December 7, 1941,Coast Guardsmen from theUSCGC Taney (WHEC-37) were ordered to take up defensive positions around Aloha Tower and protect it from being occupied. The Aloha Tower was painted incamouflage to disappear at night.
In 1981, theGovernor of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism established the Aloha Tower Development Corporation. Thepublic corporation was charged with developing the land around the Aloha Tower to benefit the state's commercial trade industry based at Honolulu Harbor while at the same time providing the residents of Hawaii with ample access to the downtown waterfront. The entire Aloha Tower Complex, as defined by the public corporation, was identified as Piers 5 and 6, Piers 8 through 23, and portions of Nimitz Highway and Iwilei.
In 1982, theHawaii Maritime Center was opened near the Aloha Tower in an old royal pier to present the history of Honolulu Harbor and the relative industries it served. In 2002, the Hawaii Maritime Center became an incorporated institution of theBishop Museum. The center was closed to the public on May 1, 2009 and was later converted into aHawaii Pacific Universitydormitory in 2015.[7][8]
Docked at the royal pier is theFalls of Clyde, a historic shipping vessel.[9]
Aloha Towers adjacent Nimitz Highway has been thrown around with various proposals of projects to make it more efficient. In addition to this, proposals are being thrown around regarding redevelopment surrounding Aloha Tower.
In 2004, a controversial proposal was made to construct an underground highway tunnel beneath the complex.[10]
Proposals involving introducingrail transit near the Aloha Tower have been thrown around for years. Initially, this included the re-establishment ofstreetcars, but was changed to aLight Metro system once the Skyline Project was announced. This will result in theKuloloia (Downtown) Skyline station being built near the Aloha Tower. As of 2024, this station is under construction and is expected to open in 2031.[11]
As part of the adjacent Skyline Station'stransit oriented development plan, the parking lot fronting the Aloha Tower and the adjacent decommissionedHawaiian Electric power plant, would be demolished for various mixed-use developments. In addition to this, the surrounding commercial offices would be converted into residential mixed-use condos. In fact, the first conversion: the Modea condo is already expected to be completed in 2025.[12][13][14]
in 2015, theHawaii Pacific University has taken over the former Aloha Tower Marketplace and converted the facility into a expansion of its campus, including 78 student housing units for 278 students.[15]
In consideration of heightened security measures after theSeptember 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, public access to the observation deck was restricted, but has since been reopened.
American hard rock band Skid Row performed in concert at Aloha Tower Stage on October 10, 1992.
 | ||
