Tourism in Lanai City

In April 2009 the National Trust for Historic Preservation included Lanai City on its list of the eleven most endangered historic places in the United States. The National Trust considers Lanai City to be "the last remaining intact plantation town in Hawaii". Lanai City was designated an endangered historic place after Lanai City owner Castle & Cook applied for Maui County permits to demolish or significantly alter many buildings in the historic center of Lanai City.

Why the National Trust Considers Lanai City Endangered

One of Hawaii's eight main islands, Lanai, known as the "Pineapple Isle," has lush tropical beaches, breathtaking natural beauty, lavish resorts and one attraction none of the other islands can claim: an intact plantation town. Nestled between Molokai and Maui, Lanai is the smallest of the main Hawaiian Islands, with 2,500 year-round residents living in and near Lanai City, the center of the island. The island rose to prominence with the arrival of James Drummond Dole, whose pineapple empire once stretched over 20,000 acres and employed thousands of workers. In the 1920s, Dole, who owned the entire island, created a thriving company town, complete with hundreds of plantation-style homes, a laundromat, jail, courthouse and police station, all centered around a tree-lined park named in his honor. Today, Lanai is almost entirely owned by Castle & Cooke, one of the largest private landowners in Hawaii. The company, which also owns Dole Foods and two high-end Four Seasons resorts on Lanai, recently submitted a three-part plan calling for the demolition or alteration of 15-20 historic buildings in Lanai City to make way for large-scale commercial development.

"Lanai City is a jewel, the last remaining intact plantation town in Hawaii," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Its remote location protected the city from the intense development pressures seen in other parts of the state, and, as a result, it's been a haven for visitors anxious to experience an authentic and natural slice of paradise. We can't afford to lose this unique chapter of Hawaiian history and heritage."

The least visited of the main Hawaiian Islands, Lanai has remained secluded, and the company town of Lanai City looks very much as it did in its 1920s heyday. There are no traffic lights, no malls, no public transportation and less than 30 miles of paved road on the 141-acre island.

Currently, the two-block area that makes up Lanai City's historic downtown is largely intact, but that may soon change as Castle & Cooke has already submitted demolition applications to Maui County's Department of Planning. Permit applications have been filed for the demolition of three residential structures, the police lieutenant's house, the Lanai City jail, the laundromat and other historic commercial structures.

The new development proposal includes an oversized, out-of-scale grocery store, dramatically incompatible with the historic downtown. The grocery store's parking lot alone would consume an entire city block. Local preservationists hope to convince Castle & Cooke that a preserved Lanai City is a draw for heritage tourists and is, therefore, an economically viable solution.

Resources

2009:
11 Sites Make New 2009 List of Endangered Historic Places

2006:
Lanai City Among 9 Endangered Isle Sites

Historic Hawaii Foundation "Endangered Lanai" Article

Hawaii for Visitors Lanai City Guide

Hawaii Tourism Authority "Lanai City" Article

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Lanai City Visitor Information

Lanai Island Travel Guide

All Destinations in Hawaii

Hawaii for Visitors

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