Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.R. No. 43, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to study and evaluate the feasibility of establishing an economic redevelopment agency for the urban core of Honolulu.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Community Development Authority. Comments were submitted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Community Development Authority was established thirty years ago to ensure that the Kakaako area is invigorated as a dynamic urban neighborhood and to bring together a wide spectrum of activities and commerce, as well as a greater mixture of Hawaii's population. This measure continues this objective by studying and evaluating the feasibility of establishing an economic redevelopment agency for the urban core of Honolulu.

However, your Committee notes that the redevelopment agency, if established, would probably fall under the City and County of Honolulu's jurisdiction. Thus, your Committee requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to work closely with the City and County of Honolulu, as the city will need to examine this issue for future developments such as a mass transit system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the need to consider whether the redevelopment agency should be empowered to create superblocks.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 43, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 43, S.D. 2.