Lahaina Business Park: Malu Ulu O Lele

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Lahaina Business Park: Malu Ulu O Lele

Establish a commercial hub to help revitalize the heart of Lahaina and provide a vibrant destination for both local residents and visitors

View the Lahaina Street Market pitch deck

Project Description

Lahaina Business Park: Malu Ulu O Lele is a visionary response to the devastating wildfire that swept through Lahaina on August 8, 2023, for community gathering space for retail shops, food, farmer’s market, entertainment, sports, culture, and convening. It will be a commercial and community hub to promote economic recovery and vitality.

The project brings opportunities for Lahaina businesses to get back to business, and create potential for new entrepreneurs. This place could serve as a satellite location for fresh ideas and innovation in a variety of sectors including agriculture, education and technology.

Purpose

Create a commercial hub to help revitalize the heart of Lahaina and provide a vibrant destination for both local residents and visitors
Offer a diverse range of offerings, from local vendors and food trucks to local entertainment and cultural events
Play a pivotal role in supporting Mauiʻs small businesses and entrepreneurs
Create gathering space for families, community groups and visitors on West Maui
Provide tangible evidence of progress forward

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Figure: Slide 36 of Lahaina Street Market pitch deck

Alignment with West Maui Community Plan (WMCP)

Policy 2.4.5 - Encourage culturally appropriate, environmentally friendly, community-supported, legal small businesses, art, historic industries, and wellness as an industry.

Action 4.05 - Create programming, marketing and investment to assist the community in developing a food hub, to help farmers and markers of value-added products with production and distribution, and to increase the number of locally made products bought and sold in the community.

Interdependencies and Roadblocks

ERC Projects:

Infrastructure systems – land, water – ‘Āina and Wai Stewardship
Healing Journey
Workforce Development Ecosystem
Policy

Roadblocks: Acquiring a site

Next Steps

Land acquisition
Building of the structures
Landscap;ing
Various interior renovations (electrical, carpentry, AC, equipment) are still needed for the project to open

Project Details

Cost Estimate:

$20 million*
Date of Estimate: August 2024

Potential Funding Sources:

EDA
Hawai‘i Community Foundation
State of Hawai‘i
USDA Rural Development
Local Business Development
Maui United Way
Private foundations

Project Lead:

Maui Office of Economic Development and the Maui Office of Recovery Economic Recovery Support Function in partnership with the LahainaTown Action Committee

Project Partners:

LahainaTown Action Committee
Maui Chamber of Commerce
Hawaii Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
Maui Economic Development Board
Maui Economic Opportunity Inc.
Maui Hotel & Lodging Association
Hawaii Tourism Authority
Hawaiian Civic Club
Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement
FEMA
U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration
U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Hawaii Community Foundation

Other ERC Projects

Designing Permitting Processes for Accelerated West Maui and Kula Recovery: A Project for Rebuilding

Developing and Integrating a Maui Workforce Ecosystem

Expanding R-1 Water System to Lahaina

Pathways to Prosperity: Health, Housing, and Economic Diversity for All

Regaining Lahaina’s Harbor for Economic Resilience

Story Mapping and Abundance Planning for Economic Recovery

The Healing Journey (Maui Economic Recovery through Community Healing)

Wai Dashboard

West Maui Water Management Plan

Advancing an Agricultural, Natural Resource & Food Systems Workforce Task Force

Back to ERC

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Key Highlights

ERC members share from the ERC process:

The opportunity to get to know and work with others, who they normally would not meet, in meaningful ways
A new way of doing business together for shared goals: Time to build foundations and relationships, to learn, and to think broadly about what Maui needs for long-term recovery has been really appreciated and is crucial for real impact
Witnessing a de-siloing of government (across levels) and experiencing working with agencies and across sectors provides hope
Mayor Bissen announced that there will be private funding to support two years of project management, so relationships, new ways of doing business together, and the projects will continue through implementation, and our administration will continue to support the people of the Maui and the County after this warm hand-off

Maui Nui Strong is a program of the County of Maui Office of Economic Development that connects our residents, businesses, and visitors to useful information about Maui County, our diverse islands, and a variety of resources that help to promote thriving and vibrant communities.

erc projects