Coco Palms Resort From Elvis’ ‘Blue Hawaii’ Movie Will Be Rebuilt – Billboard

Demolition will quickly start on a resort as soon as favored by Elvis Presley and different Hollywood royalty earlier than it was closely broken by a hurricane three many years in the past.

The Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai might be torn down for a brand new 350-room resort, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

The resort is finest identified in film lore as the situation the place Presley and Joan Blackman’s characters married within the 1961 film Blue Hawaii.

It’s additionally the positioning of different key scenes within the film, together with the final the place Presley sings the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and holds Blackman’s hand whereas they board a raft to cross a lagoon.

In its heyday, it was famed for being frequented by different Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Bing Crosby.

The 46-acre grounds have been additionally as soon as dwelling to Kauai’s final queen, Deborah Kapule, who died in 1853.

The resort opened in 1953 subsequent to a historic coconut grove and an historic Hawaiian fishpond. The property fell into disrepair after being broken when the highly effective Hurricane Iniki hit the island in 1992.

Several makes an attempt to revive the property have failed through the years.

The $250 million challenge will take three years to finish, mentioned Patrick Manning, a managing associate of Reef Capital Partners from Utah.

Reef Capital served because the lender to a earlier developer and took over the property in 2018 once they defaulted on a mortgage. Manning mentioned the plan was to promote the property, however that modified after he investigated its historical past.

“I called my partners, and I said, ‘This property is too important to sell,’” Manning mentioned.

The new resort and a cultural heart to honor the property’s historical past might be constructed on about 10 acres of the property.

At one time, the group needed the resort rebuilt, however these sentiments have modified, mentioned Kauai Council Chairman Mel Rapozo. “They don’t want to see a resort built,” he added.

At a state Board of Land and Natural Resources assembly Friday, some spoke in opposition to the event, citing quite a few ancestral bones buried on the property.

Cultural practitioner Joseph Kekaulike Kamai mentioned his great-grandmother is buried there, and others are buried underneath the resort, driveway and tennis courts.

“I really don’t want them to be digging anymore. I don’t want them grubbing our land,” Kamai mentioned.

Manning mentioned one thing must be performed or the positioning might be an eyesore for one more 30 years.

“Even though we know there are many that don’t want it rebuilt, we intend to be viewed and earn a reputation for doing everything we can to honor its past and respect the people of Kauai and guests of Kauai and how we manage its future,” Manning mentioned.