Aloha Tower

	Aloha Tower
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	The Aloha Tower has been greeting vessels to port at Honolulu Harbor since September 11, 1926.
Location	Honolulu, HI
Coordinates	21°18′25.5″N 157°51′57.5″W / 21.307083°N 157.865972°W
Built	1926
Architect	Arthur L. Reynolds
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival, Art Deco
NRHP reference No.	76000660
Added to NRHP	May 13, 1976

The Aloha Tower is a retired lighthouse^[3]^[4] that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States. Opened on September 11, 1926, at a then astronomical cost of $160,000 ($2,805,206 in 2024),^[5]^[6] the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor. It has been, and continues to be, a guiding beacon welcoming vessels to the City and County of Honolulu. Just as the Statue of Liberty greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year to New York City, the Aloha Tower greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Honolulu. At 10 stories and 184 feet (56 m) of height topped with 40 feet (12 m) of flag mast, for four decades the Aloha Tower was the tallest structure in Hawaii.^[5] It was built in the Hawaiian Gothic architectural style.

History

Attack on Pearl Harbor

When the attack on Pearl Harbor came on December 7, 1941, Coast Guardsmen from the USCGC Taney (WHEC-37) were ordered to take up defensive positions around Aloha Tower and protect it from being occupied. The Aloha Tower was painted in camouflage to disappear at night.

Redevelopment

In 1981, the Governor of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism established the Aloha Tower Development Corporation. The public corporation was charged with developing the land around the Aloha Tower to benefit the state's commercial trade industry based at Honolulu Harbor while at the same time providing the residents of Hawaii with ample access to the downtown waterfront. The entire Aloha Tower Complex, as defined by the public corporation, was identified as Piers 5 and 6, Piers 8 through 23, and portions of Nimitz Highway and Iwilei.

Museum marketplace

In 1982, the Hawaii Maritime Center was opened near the Aloha Tower in an old royal pier to present the history of Honolulu Harbor and the relative industries it served. In 2002, the Hawaii Maritime Center became an incorporated institution of the Bishop Museum. The center was closed to the public on May 1, 2009 and was later converted into a Hawaii Pacific University dormitory in 2015.^[7]^[8]

Docked at the royal pier is the Falls of Clyde, a historic shipping vessel.^[9]

Recent developments

Aloha Towers adjacent Nimitz Highway has been thrown around with various proposals of projects to make it more efficient. In addition to this, proposals are being thrown around regarding redevelopment surrounding Aloha Tower.

Highway tunnel proposal

In 2004, a controversial proposal was made to construct an underground highway tunnel beneath the complex.^[10]

Future Skyline service

Proposals involving introducing rail transit near the Aloha Tower have been thrown around for years. Initially, this included the re-establishment of streetcars, but was changed to a Light Metro system once the Skyline Project was announced. This will result in the Kuloloia (Downtown) Skyline station being built near the Aloha Tower. As of 2024, this station is under construction and is expected to open in 2031.^[11]

Proposed redevelopment of adjacent areas

As part of the adjacent Skyline Station's transit oriented development plan, the parking lot fronting the Aloha Tower and the adjacent decommissioned Hawaiian Electric power plant, would be demolished for various mixed-use developments. In addition to this, the surrounding commercial offices would be converted into residential mixed-use condos. In fact, the first conversion: the Modea condo is already expected to be completed in 2025.^[12]^[13]^[14]

Hawaii Pacific University

in 2015, the Hawaii Pacific University has taken over the former Aloha Tower Marketplace and converted the facility into a expansion of its campus, including 78 student housing units for 278 students.^[15]

Security concerns following September 11, 2001 attacks

In consideration of heightened security measures after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, public access to the observation deck was restricted, but has since been reopened.

Concerts

American hard rock band Skid Row performed in concert at Aloha Tower Stage on October 10, 1992.

Gallery

Docked at the Aloha Tower Complex is the Falls of Clyde, the only iron-hulled, four-masted ship in the world.
The Hawaii Maritime Center and the Falls of Clyde seen from Aloha Tower, looking east
Downtown Honolulu featuring the Aloha Tower, the Falls of Clyde, and First Hawaiian Center.