HI SR58

Urges the County Council of the County of Hawaii to use its power of eminent domain to condemn the Naalehu Theater and preserve its historic legacy.

Naalehu Theater, the southernmost theater in the country, was constructed in 1925 by the Hutchinson Sugar Company and hosted live performances and movie screenings.

Property is currently owned by 300 Corporation, a division of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; the owner objected to historic listing attempts in 2005.

Theater required approximately $150,000 in repairs beginning in 2006 for roof, ceiling, gutters, and foundation work; listing on the National Register of Historic Places would provide 20 percent federal reimbursement for approved repairs.

Theater was listed by Honolulu Magazine in 2010 as one of "Hawaii's Most Endangered Historic Sites"; preservation would allow visitors and future generations to learn about Naalehu's history.