Save Coco Palms

The Kauai resort made famous by Elvis but infamous by 1992 Hurricane Iniki may be seeing a glint of hope in its future. A group in support of restoring the now-dilapidated landmark has been circulating a petition to save Coco Palms.

Without going into much detail, the online petition broadly states on its online petition that a new, Hawaii-based group of investors has stepped up and is willing to restore the property to its former glory.” But before that can happen, the committee needs to stop a draft ordinance from passing. The ordinance proposes to axe the possibility of restoring the resort to its pre-hurricane condition.

Dozens had already signed the petition within the first few hours of its launch. They wrote their experiences at Coco Palms back in its heyday. It is the oldest resort on the island of Kauai, but for some reason or another, has not been restored and passed through various hands of ownership. It is ashamed because this is more than just Elvis’ hangout but a piece of island history as well.

A committee member wrote on the Save Coco Palms Facebook fan page, “On my last visit to Kauai, I stood there in disbelief looking at this piece of history just left to rot…I know there is someone out there with lots of money looking for a project that would mean a lot (to) many people on and off the island.”

Lets hope that this mystery “Hawaii-based group” will be the savior in this drawn-out island dilemma. Coco Palms has experienced a storied past in desperate need of a happy ending.

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on Jul 13, 2013