AROUND 30 residents attended a townhall meeting organized by the Indigenous Affairs Office and the Office of Planning and Development to discuss the proposed $21.6 million, federally funded Oleai Sports Complex and Cultural Events Center.
Amber Weston, OPD project manager, said the project spans an area immediately north of West Coast Restaurant and around the 500 Sails Guma Sakman across from Marianas High School.
Phase one of the project involves the installation of base infrastructure, water lines, sewer lines, lights, walkways, and multiple restroom facilities. Phase two includes the creation of up to nine “moderate” sized palapalas (pavilions) measuring approximately 720 square feet. In phase three, the project will create 33 smaller palapalas.
Weston said “walkability” is a component of the design.
“We don’t have a lot of spaces to walk around Saipan safely away from dogs and away from traffic so this will be really nice,” she said.
The plans include the construction of an amphitheater, she added. The decision to construct palapalas was influenced by the number of vendors who participate in annual community events such as the Flame Tree Arts Festival, she added.
In a media release last week, OPD said the space could be the “premier venue for community events throughout the year.”
Weston pointed out the area’s potential as a community events venue. “I’m sure we will have more of the ability to fully enjoy openly when we host concerts, host Flame Tree — any kind of wonderful gathering that we have [or] all of our annual things that we do.”
Weston said construction may begin in early 2025. She said the project is currently in the architectural and engineering phase.
Mariano Iglecias, also of OPD, said the designs were kept “simple” to facilitate “ease of maintenance” upon project completion.
IAO Resident Director Luella Marciano said the public’s input is necessary to finalize a name for the facility.
She said during research, IAO came across the place name “Kattan Uda.”
One tentative name could be the “Kattan Uda Event Center” if the public supports it, Weston said.
During the public comment period, 500 Sails co-founder Emma Perez said she hopes traditional canoes will feature prominently in the future of the area.
She pointed out that it currently features two canoe houses — the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Guma Higgai and 500 Sails’ Guma Sakman.
“One of the things that we identified was that in the plan there’s no place for additional canoes. And we’re going to have more and more canoes,” Perez said. “When this plan started, canoes were not really a part of the fabric of what’s going on here. Now we’re up to 14 [canoes]. Two are 40-foot and we’re trying to really use them as part of the cultural fabric for tourism. In this plan, please keep in mind that the canoes need a place. The maritime tradition of these islands is a huge part of this that nobody else has on their islands and I just don’t want that to get lost.”
500 Sails co-founder Peter Perez said their organization will continue to build canoes, and that the event center could be an appropriate space for them.
“This being a cultural area where we have the Guma Higgai on this side and we have the Guma Sakman on that side, I think it would be something that would be very awesome if we had canoes up and down the beach,” Peter Perez said.
He said 500 Sails had the plan and funding to move the Guma Sakman around 150 feet away from its current location, but the proposed event center space will inhibit that.
“We’re cooperative in every way [and] we want everybody to succeed, but if you could please bear in mind that we really are supposed to be moving up 150 feet,” he said. “If there’s any way we could have that access back, I think it would be good for the community.”
Two residents opposed the proposed cultural events center.
For Roberto Santos, there are multiple “red flags.”
“This coast is one of the most sensitive on the island, so I don’t know why we would be so foolish as to continue thinking about what we can do in this narrow space between Beach Road and this amazing environment,” he said.
He added that the area has “cultural value.”
“That value is the cultural activities that already occur here in the open space. We don’t need concrete here — the concrete will lower the value of this land,” he said.
Liana Hofschneider, who is running for U.S. delegate, opposes the site’s use for “cultural tourism.”
“Tourists will come because they want to see your culture — you don’t need to make it [for] tourism,” she said. “The tourists will come and look at your tradition — which is navigation — because they want to learn about your ancient tradition.”
She also wants to see an area where the public can honor the ancestors of the indigenous people. “I haven’t seen one area where I can go and pay my tribute or reverence,” she said.
John Gonzales, who is also a U.S. delegate candidate, asked if educational demonstrations for the culinary arts, the local language, talaya, farming, and more would be included in the plans. Luella Marciano said they would be.
John Gonzales asked about educational activities that may occur at the proposed cultural events center.
Emma Perez, standing right, 500 Sails co-founder, hopes canoes are featured in the plans for the proposed cultural events center.
Roberto Santos, left, opposes the proposed cultural events center.
From left, Indigenous Affairs Office Resident Director Luella Marciano, Office of Planning and Development project manager Amber Weston, and Mariano Iglecias, also of OPD.
Liana Hofschneider is against the proposed construction of the cultural events center.