Oahu: Walker Estate is safe for now

January 2, 2007

Oahu: Walker Estate is safe for now

The deal that would have developed the Walker estate is now off. The prospective buyer for the property had plans to demolish the historic home as well as the historic Japanese gardens as well as tearing downing many, if not all of the large trees on the 5.7 acre parcel in Nuuanu.

The property is again on the market for $12.9 million. The Estate owner, Holy-Eye LLC, which is affiliated with a Taiwanese based Buddhist church, has said that the property is too expensive to maintain and restore.

Many historic preservationists are happy that this deal fell a part because it means that there is hope to save the house and gardens. Even Gov. Linda Lingle said in a letter on December 19, 2006 to the Daughters of Hawaii that any “future purchaser will recognize the historic value of the property and assure its existence as a reminder of a bygone era in Hawaii’s unique history.”