LAND-BUYS, SINCE LARRY ELLISON PURCHASED MOST OF LANAI, WOULD PUT THE FUTURE OF MOLOKAI RANCH INTO NEW HANDS. GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS INVESTIGATING AND HAS THE DETAILS. GINA: THE RANCH HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2008, AND UP FOR SALE FROM ITS SINGAPORE OWNERS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. A POSSIBLE STATE BID HAS STALLED BUT MOLOKAI COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. MOLOKAI PROPERTIES LIMITED, WHICH OWNS ABOUT A THIRD OF THE ISLAND’S LAND AREA, SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS OVER A DECADE AGO, CLOSING A LODGE, GOLF COURSE, BUSINESS CENTERS AND CATTLE OPERATIONS.
ALL THAT LAND AND ASSETS — 55 THOUSAND ACRES — HAVE SAT EVER SINCE. WALTER RITTE, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST-“IT’S BEEN A PROBLEM ALL OF THESE YEARS AND WE’RE REALLY GLAD THAT THEY ARE NOW SELLING.” IT’S BEEN LISTED FOR 260 MILLION DOLLARS WITH SOTHEBY’S SINCE THE FALL OF 2017 WALTER RITTE, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST-“WE HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING FOR THE PAST YEAR,ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW, TO TRY AND FIND A BUYER THAT WOULD BE MORE AMENABLE TO WHERE WE WANT TO GO” REP.
RICHARD CREAGAN-“THERE ARE SO MANY OLIGARCHS IN THE WORLD THEY DON’T KNOW WHO MIGHT BUY IT” “260 MILLION DOLLARS IS LIKE CHUMP CHANGE TO SOME OF THESE GUYS. IT MIGHT BE WONDERFUL BUT THE POINT IS IT MIGHT NOT BE WONDERFUL FOR THE PEOPLE OF MOLOKAI ” REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD CREAGAN, WHO HAD PEACE CORPS TRAINING THERE IN THE 1960S, LAUNCHED A BILL TO HAVE THE STATE BUY IT, SIMILAR TO HOW THE STATE, HONOLULU COUNTY AND TRUST FOR PUBLIC LANDS TEAMED UP WITH 45 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUY NEARLY 700 ACRES NEAR TURTLE BAY A FEW YEARS BACK.
A MOLOKAI DEAL WOULD FAR SURPASS THAT IN SCOPE. REP. RICHARD CREAGAN–“I THINK IT DEFINITELY IS THE BIGGEST BUY” THAT BILL GOT SHELVED TODAY AT THE CAPITOL. RITTE SAYS THERE’S A BACKUP PLAN TO START A FEASIBILITY STUDY. CREAGAN’S OFFICE SAYS IT COULD RESURFACE IN A SENATE BILL IF THE IDEA GAINS MOMENTUM.
GINA: WHAT’S THE DOWN SIDE IF THE STATE DOESN’T BUY IT AND JUST LETS THE FREE MARKET TAKE ITS COURSE? REP.
RICHARD CREAGAN-MAIN THING IS THE LAND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN FROM A FOREIGN ENTITY FOR THE STATE, AND THEN THE PEOPLE ON MOLOKAI CAN MAKE THE DECISION ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE THING TO DO WITH THAT LAND.” GINA TO THE EXTENT THAT BUSINESSES MIGHT WORRY ABOUT THE BUSINESS CLIMATE THERE IN TERMS OF OPERABILITY, IS MOLOKAI OPEN FOR BUSINESS FOR OPERATORS CALL IT DEFENSE. NOW THAT THE LANDS ARE FOR SALE, IT’S TIME FOR SOME OFFENSE.
SO WE’RE BRINGING ALL TOGETHER THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND TELLING THEM THAT THEY’RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO PLAY OFFENSE, NOW THEY’VE REALLY GOT TO COME UP WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT’S GOING TO BE SUITED FOR THEIR FUTURE .” GINA: A COMMUNITY MEETING IS BEING HELD ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 4TH AT THE MITCHELL PAUOLE CENTER IN KAUNAKAKAI, COVERING OPTIONS WITH THE MOLOKAI RANCH PURCHASE, ALSO OTHER TOPICS ABOUT NEW MILITARY ACTIVITIES THERE, THE KALAUPAPA NATIONAL PARK ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, AND A MOVE TO MAKE MOLOKAI ITS OWN COUNTY.
THAT GOES FROM 4PM TO 7:30 MONDAY. GINA MANGIERI KHON2 TO NEWS. JOE:.
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