Alexander & Baldwin announced today that it will retain all of the monkeypod trees at Manoa Marketplace while repaving the center’s parking lot to address safety concerns and provide a more comfortable experience for tenants and shoppers. A&B will need to trim and prune the tree canopies to ensure the trees remain stable. Their roots will be contained within planters. The roots of one monkeypod tree near the Woodlawn entrance are blocking the primary drain that collects water runoff from the parking lot. A&B will relocate that tree to the area alongside the Manoa Stream. “We’re a local company and we take our commitment to our local communities very seriously. It is important to us to balance preserving the character of Manoa Marketplace and addressing these safety concerns,” said Chris Benjamin, A&B president and CEO. A&B recognized trees are an important part of the character of the shopping center and after talking with Manoa Valley and community stakeholders, it became clear that retaining the existing monkeypod trees was a priority. A&B then determined the trees can be retained by installing new or expanding existing planters. “We want to thank everyone who took the time to share their concerns and ideas. Throughout this process, it was clear that we all share the same goal of ensuring a safe, comfortable environment for everyone who enjoys Manoa Marketplace,” Benjamin said. And Manoa Alliance would like to thank everyone who signed the petition and wrote their reasons for signing. It was an expression of community thought, sentiment and will like we have never seen before. May this serve as an example of what's possible when a company takes the time to find out what a community wants and implements it with a well-considered plan. The result is ultimately good for the community, good for the company, and good for the bottom line. We are all working together for the better world we know is possible one community at a time.