wailuku municipal parking structure interior

Wailuku Town is currently undergoing a number of road and infrastructure improvements along with construction of the new four-level parking structure (the Wailuku Municipal Parking Structure), which will provide much needed additional parking. Since the late 1990s, the County of Maui has been working to build a new parking structure to meet a large part of the parking demand in Wailuku Town. When the Wailuku Municipal Parking Structure replaces the existing municipal parking lot, it will nearly double the amount of parking to over 400 stalls. The Wailuku Municipal Parking Structure will also be designed with the capability to host events such as food-truck rallies, farmer’s markets, festivals, and other outdoor events.

The Wailuku Municipal Parking Structure, although the largest building footprint in the neighborhood, is nestled behind the historic buildings on Market Street and shielded street view by the contemporary buildings on Main and Church. The structure is to be bordered to the north by the future Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art, a Hawaiian cultural center.

More often than not, parking garages receive greater numbers of complaints rather than praise; making them an ideal space to implement sensitive public art and to develop creative placemaking strategies that use the powers of design, art and culture to transform these complaints and problems into new opportunities. When Wailuku residents and visitors use this parking garage, they get out of their cars and are greeted by an immediate experience of this special community. Escaping the steel and glass of their cars, they feel the weather, hear the sounds, smell the air and see the light of their immediate experience. This experience leaves an impression, and that impression adds to their total experience of Wailuku Town.

The selected artist(s)/artist team(s) are expected to have the ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, with the support of SMALL TOWN * BIG ART, during the development of a design for unique and engaging works of art. The artist(s)/artist team(s) will be tasked with developing site specific/site responsive work(s) which need to be incorporated into the existing identified wall space. The final work(s) should serve as a visual landmark for the Wailuku Municipal Parking Structure. All SMALL TOWN * BIG ART projects are meant to develop and promote the unique history, culture and community of Wailuku.

The project is a collaborative partnership between the County of Maui and SMALL TOWN * BIG ART. The project will be managed Dowling Company, Inc., and once installed, will be owned and maintained by the County of Maui.

A selection committee, which shall include at a minimum representatives of the County of Maui and SMALL TOWN * BIG ART, will be formed to evaluate all proposals.