Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the late 1960s, things started quietly happening on Moloka'i. The Moloka'i Ranch
sold 6,700 oceanside acres to the Kaluakoi Corp., which it controlled along with the
Louisiana Land and Exploration Company. In 1969 the long-awaited Moloka'i reservoir
was completed at Kualapu'u; finally West Moloka'i had plenty of water. Shortly after Mo-
loka'i's water problem appeared to be finally under control, Dole Co. bought out Libby in
1972, lost millions in the next few years, and shut down its pineapple production at Maun-
aloa in 1975. By 1977 the acreage sold to the Kaluakoi Corp. was starting to be developed.
The Molokai Sheraton (later called the Kaluakoi Hotel, but now closed) opened along with
low-rise condominiums and 270 fee-simple homesites ranging 5-43 acres. Plans then for
this area included two more resorts, additional condominiums, shopping facilities, bridle
paths, and an airstrip (it's only 20 minutes to Honolulu). It seemed that sleepy old Mo-
loka'i with the tiny Hawaiian Homes farms was now prime real estate and worth a fortune.
To complicate the picture even further, Del Monte shut down its operations in 1982,
throwing more people out of work. In 1986 it did resume planting 250-acre tracts, but now
all of the pineapple is gone. Recently, coffee has been put into production near the old
pineapple town of Kualapu'u, some experimental plots of fruits and vegetables have been
planted, and the Moloka'i Ranch has brought in sheep and cattle. After Brierly Investments
(now known as GuocoLeisure) bought the Moloka'i Ranch in 1988, other changes started
to take place, including a total face-lift for the town of Maunaloa and a greater emphasis
on tourism. An 18-hole golf course was built, the town of Maunaloa surged, and luxury
accommodations throughout West Moloka'i breathed life into the struggling economy.
All of that changed, however, in April 2008, when the ranch decided to cease all opera-
tions amid heavy opposition from locals critical of plans to develop La'au Point with over
200 luxury homes. Everything from the movie theater to the golf course to the hotels was
closed, and over 120 employees lost their jobs. In 2013, the businesses still remain vacant.
Though the ranch has claimed in recent years that the focus of growth will be on sustain-
able energy and agriculture, much of the island continues to struggle to find an economic
foothold.
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