[KITV] "Stairway to Heaven" stairs could stay

By KITV Web Staff

Published: Jan. 23, 2023

KANEOHE, Hawaii (KITV4) -- There is a possibility the famous "Haiku stairs" in Kaneohe won't be torn down after all.

The future of the so called Stairway to Heaven came up Monday, as the state legislature heard from the four county Mayors.

The Honolulu City Council voted back in June of 2022 to have the stairs dismantled, but Mayor Rick Blangiardi says Hawaii U.S. Senator Brian Schatz told him the federal government might be willing to renovate and operate the stairs.

"Senator (Brian) Schatz was saying to me, perhaps we could find the money to turn it into a federal property, change the entrance to a different place, redirect the stairs, fix up the rest of it, be able to support it with federal monies if you will to reconstruct, and I told him I was in favor of it,” Blangiardi said. “In the 13th hour, I’m willing to listen to options, if it proves to be viable. That’s probably the best I can offer you. If that doesn’t come through, the stairs are going to come down.”

The Honolulu city council had budgeted 1.3 million dollars for the stairs' demolition.

The stairs have been a popular tourist destination, but unfortunately, a nuisance for locals who live nearby.

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