In Waikīkī, gleaming luxury storefronts and high-end hotel lobbies now stare straight at boarded-up windows, weed-choked vacant lots and a scattering of rundown homes. People who live and work in the neighborhood say the blight is dragging down one of Hawaiʻi’s prime tourism corridors, yet city officials insist their options are slim when private owners are not breaking any rules. Huge redevelopment plans can eventually transform a block, but those are nine-figure, years-long efforts that offer little comfort to residents stuck with the mess today. Some of the starkest examples are shuttered buildings on Kalaimoku Street and a sprawling 19-parcel lot on Cleghorn Street.
City Power Has Tight Limits
Honolulu officials say their hands are largely tied…..