Wailuku Civic Complex

Project Size:
211,000 SF

As part of its long range vision to revitalize Downtown Wailuku, the County of Maui commissioned Ferraro Choi as the prime consultant to design a new destination hub for local residents and visitors. The project is a multi-year, multi-phase effort to construct major street and utility improvements, a public plaza linked to new pedestrian thoroughfares, a community building anchored by a public food market, and a 428-stall multilevel public parking garage to provide much needed capacity to support existing businesses and economic growth in the area. The Wailuku Civic Complex will serve as a catalyst to connect and integrate Downtown Wailuku into a community, arts, and business hub.

Ferraro Choi partnered with PBR Hawaii to perform extensive community outreach with stakeholders, Environmental Assessment, cultural assessment and outreach, public zoning reviews, and landscape design. Ferraro Choi worked closely with the County of Maui and stakeholder groups to develop a comprehensive master plan for the project as well as a phasing plan to accommodate funding and procurement needs.

Based upon the County’s direction, the scope of work shall be separated into the following project phases:

  • Phase 1A will comprise the major off-site improvements along two streets abutting the project site, including streetscape and pedestrian improvements, replacement of underground utilities, undergrounding of overhead utilities, roadway widening, and traffic signalization.
  • Phase 1B will comprise the Parking Garage, major pedestrian pathways, landscaping, and necessary site improvements to accommodate user access and operation of the Parking Garage.
  • Phase 2 will comprise the public plaza, Civic Building, and associated site improvements.

The public plaza will offer the community a place to gather, enjoy performances, and relax under a generous canopy of trees. Two new pedestrian pathways will link the surrounding neighborhood together with the plaza. These new pedestrian-orient spaces will host community festivals such as Wailuku’s First Friday events, food trucks, and farmers markets.

The ground floor of the 3-story community building will house a food market featuring local produce, goods, and foods. The second floor will accommodate County offices and services, and the third floor will provide accessible, multipurpose community spaces for banquet receptions, seminars, public hearings, and performance recitals. The third floor spaces and lanais will enjoy sweeping views of Kahului Bay and Iao Valley.

The parking garage will double the parking capacity of the property’s current use as the Municipal Parking Lot. Gracious pedestrian stairways in a central atrium and along the Pedestrian Promenade will offer visitors a sense of arrival into Downtown Wailuku. Structural walls have been designed to serve as canvases for street art murals, festival banners, and wall graphics. The garage will feature 40 electric vehicle charging stations with capability to expand by another 40 more in future. The top parking deck will be partially shaded by a PV roof canopy.