Why Chinatown has special building rules

(a) Chinatown is the oldest section of downtown Honolulu. In addition to its historic role in the growth of the city, and its architectural significance as reflected in its placement on the National Register of Historic Places, it reflects a dynamic ethnic population and business community. (b) However, like other central city areas, it has faced numerous physical, social, and economic problems in the past, resulting in the deterioration of commercial and residential structures, a decline in business activity, and an erosion in housing stock. While government programs, including urban renewal and tax incentives for renovation of older buildings, have been introduced to address these problems, there is a concern that architectural and historic elements of the district may still be lost. Further, Chinatown’s location adjacent to the central business district continues to produce pressures to redevelop the area to a higher density. (c) Therefore, it is necessary to preserve the historic significance and architectural characteristics of Chinatown, and to ensure the compatibility of new development within this context. The perpetuation of architectural character dominant during the 1880s to the 1940s is particularly important.