Rotary Club of Honolulu continues improvements to Centennial Park Waikīkī with renovated fencing

Park improvement project requires closure of the urban park for about three-months

The philanthropic contributions by the Rotary Club of Honolulu and Rotary District 5000 Foundation to improve Centennial Park Waikīkī, located in one of the islands’ most densely populated neighborhoods, are continuing next week with the construction of new perimeter fencing.

Beginning Monday, July 27, 2026, the Rotary Club of Honolulu, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and several local contractors will begin a renovation project to remove the existing chain link fence and install new, sturdy metal fencing atop an exterior rock wall. The existing fencing has surrounded the park prior to 2021 when the roughly three-quarter acre parcel was an undeveloped construction staging area.

“We are pleased to be beginning this last major phase of construction on the park,” said Rotarian Rob Hale, Chair of the Volunteer Centennial Park Committee. “It has been a community effort of many individuals and organizations over the last 10 years. Donations from Rotarians, businesses, individuals, and grants from local and national foundations have made the project possible. We are now raising funds for the last component, which will finalize landscaping and install appropriate signage.”

The approximately $310,000 project is being conducted with assistance from Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, David’s Fencing Inc., PLK Contractors, and Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i. It will require the closure of the park throughout the approximately three-month renovation effort. The project is expected to be finished, and the park reopened for public use, by the end of October 2026. Interior park maintenance and volunteer assistance is expected to continue during the closure.

Formally opened as a public park in February 2021, the transformation of Centennial Park Waikīkī from an undeveloped parcel began with the vision of former nearby resident Bill Sweatt. That dream was carried forward by the Rotary Club of Honolulu, who pursued the philanthropic effort in honor of their 100^th anniversary, making it the first one chartered in Hawai‘i and one of the oldest Rotary clubs in the United States. Since then, the Rotary Club has fundraised and appropriated some $1.9 million towards this park, making it an excellent example of a public-private partnership benefiting the Waikīkī community and beyond. For more information about their continued support, and to be part of the positive change, please visit: bit.ly/CentennialWaikiki

Located at 425 Royal Hawaiian Avenue in the heart of O‘ahu’s tourism district, Centennial Park Waikīkī is normally open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mahalo to regular park users and the broader community for their patience while the park is closed for this fencing project.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.

—PAU—

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Website: honolulu.gov/parks