However, it was put into storage when the local population pointed out that Kauaʻi was the one major island never conquered by Kamehameha in war.

[8] The Shinmachi Tsunami Memorial also incorporates a floor mural entitled "Submerged Rocks and Water Reflections" by Hawaiian artist Tadashi Sato.

[12] The Hawaiʻi County Board of Supervisors formed the Hawaii Redevelopment Agency (HRA) on May 31, and passed an ordinance banning further reconstruction in the flooded area.

Approximately 300 acres (120 ha) of oceanfront land would be set aside as a green belt and buffer zone to absorb future tsunamis, including the Wailoa River State Recreation Area.

At the edge of the high water mark from the 1960 tsunami, 40 acres (16 ha) of land were filled to an average elevation of 26 ft (7.9 m) above sea level, creating a parcel for a new commercial center and County offices along Kilauea Avenue.

[13]: 12  [14] Plans for Project Kaikoʻo were approved in March 1961; most businesses agreed to move to public lands zoned for light industrial uses near the airport, but residents were more stubborn and refused relocation.