The landmark Buzz’s Wharf Restaurant, which closed last year, may be leveled after nearly 50 years at Maalaea Harbor to make way for dry dock space and increased boat traffic.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is considering “leveling the building and increasing (boater) haul out,” an official said last month.

However, a DLNR spokeswoman said a historical assessment and building survey need to be completed before any decisions are made because the building is older than 50 years.

“An initial site inspection is planned,” Deborah Ward said via email earlier this month.

Marla Braun-Miller, former general manager of the restaurant – famous for its signature sweet prawns Tahitian – said the DLNR “kept dropping hints” for the past five years about its plans to retake the property. The restaurant had three years left on its lease with the state, but decided to call it quits rather than make a “push to get more customers, knowing that there was not even a chance to get it for another 10 years.”

“I know when we had talks about it they weren’t interested in doing that (renewing the lease) because they wanted to put in a new facility,” Braun-Miller said Tuesday. “They were pretty much saying, ‘We’re not going to officially say it, but they have no plans on using that existing building.’ “

The original structure is believed to have been built around 1947 by the Maalaea Boat & Fishing Club, said longtime member Jamie Dancil. The Pukalani boater, who has been repairing vessels for 35 years next door, said the club used to occupy the bottom portion and leased out the top portion to the restaurant.

Dancil said the nonprofit club used to hold keiki fishing tournaments, holiday gatherings and monthly meetings in the space before it was relocated by the DLNR in 2009. He said the club also used to collect rent from the restaurant, but that too was taken by the state in the early 1980s.

“All we have left is our dry dock,” he said. “Whenever the state has an emergency we’re always there for them and they treat us like nothing.”

Dancil was excited to hear about the possibility of increasing dry dock space and boater haul outs. He said the club can handle only about four boats at a time and that the ramp is not wide enough to accommodate charters and some of the larger private vessels, forcing the rest to travel to Honolulu and Kona.

“More than 15 boats just in Maalaea travel there,” he said. “And there’s at least five outside Maalaea that go out too.”

Dancil said the amount of money that is being lost to dry dock facilities in Honolulu and Kona is staggering – roughly $30,000 to $40,000 a boat. He said private boats and charters are typically held there for two to three weeks, where they can be painted and maintained.

“It’s unbelievable what they charge,” he said.

The facility also is in need of upgrades, and is woefully “old school,” Dancil said. He said it’s still necessary to haul boats out of the water using blocks, wedges and a winch; once it took almost five hours to get one boat out. He added that workers previously used a Jeep to do the job.

“You would put it in gear to haul it out and if you wanted to go slowly you’d put it in second gear,” he said.

Dry dock facilities on the other two islands take about 15 to 20 minutes to haul out a boat.

“I’d like a decent dry dock facility,” Dancil said. “I’m not talking about a full-blown one, just enough to handle all the boats in Maalaea. Knock down Buzz’s and widen the dock a little.”

Jerry and Eileen Macdonald opened Buzz’s Wharf in 1967 and heavily renovated the blue-roofed restaurant. The couple used their French Tahitian roots to formulate the menu and became known for their Markea sweet prawns Tahitian imported from their prawn farm in New Caledonia.

“We grew up going to dinner there, and it was a landmark for locals and tourists,” said their granddaughter, Braun-Miller, who took over operations in 2000. “People used to visit us five times during their stay, but with the advent of timeshares they don’t eat out as much and if they do they’re going to go to some trendy restaurant. Instead of five nights a week, they’re going out one or two nights.”

Braun-Miller said the kitchen and interior have been renovated several times over the years, but the structure has remained relatively the same. She said the last structural renovation occurred in 1987, which brought it to its current look.

“There’s only so much that paint can cover up,” she said. “It definitely needs to be redone.”

Braun-Miller said she would have made one last push if not for the expiring lease. She found the idea of Buzz’s Wharf being torn down sad, considering the restaurant has become a landmark for visitors and locals entering and exiting the pali.

“It’s watching a little bit of Maui history, now really becoming history,” she said. “It’s always bittersweet that we can’t make something like that stand by itself. But it’s a cycle and something new will take its place.”

* Chris Sugidono can be reached at csugidono@mauinews.com.

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