after the development of Magic Island, leaving the State with a man-made peninsula, which they converted into a public park. In 1972 the State officially renamed Magic Island ‘Aina Moana, or “land [from the] sea,” to recognize that the park is made from dredged coral fill, but residents still call it Magic Island. McCoy Pavilion was added to the Diamond Head side of the courtyard in 1975 and is named after Charles Lester McCoy, who presided over the creation of the park in the 1930s. McCoy’s widow donated $1.2 million for construction after her death. McCoy Pavilion is currently used for special events such as the annual Greek Festival and the Hawaiian Scottish Festival and Highland games. The park was added to the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places in 1988. Improvement Plans The city of Honolulu has proposed an improvement plan for Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island. The proposal includes changes to parking, replenishment of the beach sand, renovations to canals, ponds, McCoy Pavilion, the lawn bowling and canoe halau areas, repairs to the canal bridge and park entrances, improved pedestrian access near Piikoi and Queen streets, and the addition of a dog park and playground. The proposed changes to parking and the dog park have been controversial, so the city has amended the proposals and sought additional public comment. Of note, changes to parking have been controversial in the past; the 1975 park plan called for cars to be prohibited from the park roadways and three multistory garages for cars to be built. See also List of beaches in Oahu References External links Beaches of Oahu Tourist attractions in Honolulu Parks in Hawaii Protected areas of Oahu