Affordable Housing Project in Kalaeloa Approved

The Hawaii Community Development Authority has approved a proposal by developer Hunt Cos to convert a former military barrack at the old Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Kalaeloa into affordable rental apartments.  Hunt Cos stated that they plan to start construction on October 1, 2014 and will turn the 204 vacant studios into 100 one-bedroom units that will rent for approximately $1,300 per month.  The developer expects to spend about $10 million in the renovation project and will reserve the units for those residents who earn no more than 140 percent of Honolulu's median income.  That equates to $57,820 for a single person and $74,340 for a family of three. Planned amenities will include a fitness and recreation room, a barbecue area and a lounge.  There will also be 157 car parking spots provided.

Hunt Cos stated that this will be the initial piece of a complete redevelopment of the former Navy base.  The larger plan, if approved, would be to add 4,000 homes, 3.5 million sq ft of commercial buildings and 60 acres of open spaces including parks to the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station.  The project is being called Ho'ala Kalaeloa, which translates to Renew Kalaeloa, and is expected to take several decades to complete.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-10-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Former Military Barracks at Barbers Point May Become Affordable Rental Apartments

A private developer is requesting permission to convert a former military barracks at the old Barbers Point Naval Air Station into affordable rental apartments.  The barracks, known as Building 77, is currently abandoned and consists of 204 vacant studios with shared bathrooms.  Under the proposal, the space will be completely redone into 500 sq ft one-bedroom apartments.  Residents who earn between 80 to 140 percent of Honolulu's median income will be allowed to submit applications.  In community in general is very supportive of the renovation project and believe the current building is an eyesore.  

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-24-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Haseko Hawaii Proposes $87 Million Recreational Lagoon in Ewa Beach

Haseko Hawaii Inc. has announced that they would like to build an $87 million recreational lagoon as part of their Hoakalei Resort in Ewa Beach.  Haseko had previously planned to build a marina, but has since decided to abandon that plan stating that the public would be better served with a lagoon instead of a 600-slip marina and boat launch.  Under their new proposal, the lagoon will be designed for paddleboarding, kayaking and other nonmotorized watercraft, and there will also be a swimming cove to meet the needs of residents and the resort community.

Reaction to Haseko's announcement has been mixed.  Some residents are happy with the idea of a lagoon, while others complained that the main reason why they purchased properties at Hoakalei was because of the promised boat marina.  Haseko contends that there had been a weakened demand for boat slips and that there were some legal challenges from conservation and cultural groups in obtaining the right to build a marina.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-9-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Over Half of the Top 20 Beach Housing Markets Are in Hawaii

According to a report issued by RealtyTrac, 11 of the top 20 beach housing markets in the United States are located in Hawaii.  The California-based research company conducted their studies based upon the average temperature, percentage of sunny days, percentage of days with good air quality and crime rates.  The top 20 markets were then selected provided that they had a median value of below $1 million.  Daren Blomquist, the vice president at RealtyTrac, explained, "Buying near the beach is one of the best ways to ensure a property will appreciate in value. Whether buying for retirement, a vacation home or a primary residence, homes located in quality beach towns benefit from virtually unlimited demand and a finite supply of land to build on."

Ranking third on the list was Waianae, located on the Leeward Coast of Oahu.  Waianae has an average temperature of 76 degrees, 74 percent sunny days, 100 percent days with good air quality, and a crime grade of a B.  It also has a relatively low median home value at $309,328. The other Hawaii beach housing markets to make it in the top 20 were Wailuku (Oahu) at fourth place, Kahului (Maui) seventh place, Ewa Beach (Oahu) at eighth place, Kihei (Maui) at ninth place, Waipahu (Oahu) at tenth place, Lahaina (Maui) at 12th place, Honolulu (Oahu) at 13th place, Pearl City (Oahu) at 14th place, Kaneohe (Oahu) at 15th place, and Kailua at 18th place. 

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5-24-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Mokulele Airlines to Begin Flights Out of Kalaeloa Airport

Mokulele Airlines has announced that they will be beginning to offer commercial flights out of Kalaeloa Airport starting on July 1, 2014.  Kalaeloa Airport is located on the western side of Oahu and was formerly the Barbers Point Naval Air Station.  The first route that Mokulele will offer will be between Kalaeloa and Kahului Airport on the island of Maui. Ron Hansen, the chief executive officer for the airline, stated, "It's been a yearlong goal of ours, and it's finally happening and we'll see what the reception is. And if it warrants more flights based on bookings, we'll add more flights."

With regards to other potential destinations, Hansen added, "What we're trying to determine is where passengers want to go at this point. We feel the most conservative way to venture into this is with three flights a day into Kahu­lui, and the rest of the (airline's) flights will remain the same."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5-14-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Property Development Centers Sells Laulani Village Shopping Center in Ewa Beach

Property Development Centers, the development arm of Safeway, has announced that they have sold the Laulani Village Shopping Center in Ewa Beach for $99.5 million to Terramar Retail Centers.  The property has a total of 223,000 sq ft of retail space and is said to be 89 percent occupied.  Terramar owns a total of 24 retail centers in California, Washington, Oregon and Colorado. The  Laulani Village Shopping Center is their first commercial real estate purchase in the Hawaii market.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 1-8-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Filipino Supermarket to Open on Oahu in 2014

Seafood City Supermarket has announced that they will be opening up their first store in Oahu sometime in 2014. Based out of California, Seafood City caters primarily to Filipino customers, and plans to build their first Hawaii supermarket in the Waipahu Town Center.  The market will be just over 38,000 sq ft in size.  Retail experts believe this is an excellent move by Seafood City, especially since based upon the 2010 census data, more than 60 percent (16,000 residents) of Waipahu's population is Filipino.  Furthermore, the census reports that Kunia and Ewa Village, two nearby neighborhoods, are home to another 11,000 Filipino residents.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-19-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Ewa Beach Homeowners Sues Developer Haseko for Lack of Boat Marina

A class-action lawsuit has been filed by the homeowners of the Hoakalei Resort and Ocean Pointe communities in Ewa Beach against developer Haseko Inc for failure to provide a small boat marina that connects to the ocean. According to the lawsuit, the homeowners are claiming that Haseko had lied to them and violated state condominium laws, land sale, and fair trade practices and breached an implied contract when Haseko decided not to build a marina for the neighborhood.  In November 2011, Haseko announced that instead of building a marina, they would build a land-locked lagoon.  Haseko stated at that time that there was a lack of demand for market-priced boat slips and that the cost was too great to excavate a channel from the lagoon to the ocean. This decision by Haseko, homeowners argue, has materially affected the value of their properties.  The lawsuit represents over 700 homeowners in the Hoakalei Resort and Ocean Pointe neighborhoods who purchased their homes before November 2011.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-18-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Honolulu City Council Approves Updated Ewa Development Plan

The Honolulu City Council has voted in a 9-0 decision to give their approval to proceed with an updated Ewa Development Plan.  The plan will help to provide development guidelines for the Ewa neighborhood, including the proposal to build the Ho'opili development which would create another 12,000 homes in the area.  Supporters of the Ho'opili project note that the island of Oahu is in dire need of additional homes and jobs and are very happy with the City Council's approval.  However, opponents of the Ho'opili project argue that the development would take away critical agricultural land and add additional traffic problems for West Oahu commuters.

It should be noted that the Ewa Development Plan is only a guideline, and does not mean that the agricultural land that the Ho'opili project sits on would actually be rezoned for urban redevelopment. However, this is a major victory in the process for D.R. Horton, the developer of the Ho'opili project.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-11-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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State Plans to Build New Elementary School in Kapolei

The state of Hawaii government has announced that they will be building a new elementary school in Kapolei and expanding an existing elementary school in Ewa.  Kapolei II Elementary School will cost approximately $40 million to build and will be located on a 12-acre site just west of Kapolei High School on Fort Barrette Road.  The new elementary school is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2015-2016 school year and would be able to take in 750 students.  The land was donated to the state by developer D.R. Horton.  Currently existing Ewa Elementary School will be receiving a new $9.6 million building.  This building would have seven classrooms, a computer lab, a faculty center, restrooms and utility/mechanical spaces.

State Representative Sharon Har stated, "I'm ecstatic the governor released this money because I think it's an acknowledgement of our ever-growing population.  We need to keep up with the investments in infrastructure.  The Kapolei region is the fastest-growing region in the state of Hawaii, that's a fact.  But I feel like we often get the short end of the stick. Government created this ‘Second City' concept and residents did their part by moving out here, but government hasn't kept up with the infrastructure, and that includes schools.  Now we have ourselves in a situation where Kapolei Elementary and Kapolei Middle have to be run year-round as multitrack schools, with six or seven different tracks, in order to accommodate the population because you have such an overload in capacity of students."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-30-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Walgreens To Open Two New Stores on Oahu

Walgreens has announced that they will be two new stores on the island of Oahu. The first store will be located in Nuuanu and will be approximately 22,500 sq feet in size. The second store will be opening in Ewa Beach and will be 14,600 sq ft in size. Both locations will be 24-hours and will employ approximately 30 workers each. The national drug company has announced that they hope to be adding another location in Wailuku on the island of Maui in the spring or summer of 2014. Walgreens also plans to demolish and rebuild its first Hawaii location on the corner of Keeaumoku Street and Kapiolani Boulevard in the Ala Moana neighborhood.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-12-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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New Development – Ho’opili Community Update

Judge Rhonda Nishimura, a Hawaii Circuit Court judge, has upheld the state’s Land Use Commission’s decision to allow urban use of farmland in the Ewa plains. This decision will allow developer D.R. Horton to build the Ho’opili community, which will be an 11,750 home project.

The dispute centered around the fact that the land that the Ho’opili community is scheduled to be built on is zoned as agricultural land. The Land Use Commission gave D.R. Horton a variance and changed the zoning to urban use, allowing the building of residential homes. However, the Sierra Club of Hawaii and state Senator Clayton Hee filed a lawsuit opposing the Land Use Commission’s decision. D.R. Horton hired expert witnesses who stated that some farming on the land would be able to continue and displaced farmers would be able to relocate to other suitable and available farmlands on Oahu. They also noted that the state’s overall agricultural production would not be significantly impacted by the building of the Ho’opili Community. Senator Hee and the Sierra Club brought in their own expert testimony to dispute the developer’s claims.

According to Judge Nishimura, the Sierra Club and Senator Hee failed to show that the D.R. Horton’s expert witnesses were not credible or that their evidence significantly outweighed the evidence provided by Horton’s experts. Nishimura further stated that the Land Use Commission did not violate the Constitution and they were allowed to change the zoning from agricultural to urban. The Sierra Club and Senator Hee have stated that they will further appeal the case.

Developer D.R. Horton will now have to go to the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting to file an official zoning change application. The Honolulu City Council would then give the final approval for the Ho’opili project.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5-9-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Hawaii Real Estate – Endangered Plant Stalling Land Swap Deal Between Navy and Hawaii Community Development Authority

The United States Navy would like to convey approximately 250 acres of land that it owns on three separate parcels to the Hawaii Community Development Authority, a state agency.  The land is located at the Barbers Point Naval Air Station on the island of Oahu.  However, a native plant, known as the Ewa Plains akoko (scientific name is Chamaesyce skottsbergii var. kalaeloana) is growing on approximate 150 to 160 acres of this land.  The challenge facing the Hawaii Community Development Authority is that the Ewa Plains akoko is an endangered species with only 630 plants known to exist, thus raising the issue on who is responsible for the plants and what should be done to protect them.

The Hawaii Community Development Group had proposed building a solar energy farm on the land that would generate 10 to 15 megawatts of energy on two separate parcels.  It is estimated that the solar panels would generate several hundred dollars in revenue for the state agency.  However, the Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the HCDA would also be responsible for the ongoing preservation of the Ewa Plains akoko, which would require developing a conservation management plan, putting in fencing and a firebreak road, doing clearing work, and hiring people to maintain the site.  The expense for following the Fish and Wildlife Service’s requirements would far outweigh the financial benefit of taking in the property.  Anthony Ching, the executive director for the HCDA, stated, “It (the akoko preservation) is a worthy effort. It’s the law. We should protect our endangered species. I have no problem with that.  But it can’t be unreasonable. You can’t expect to create an unfunded mandate and expect and then ask for the world and then seemingly create challenges for that to happen.”

The Fish and Wildlife had made efforts to grow the plants elsewhere, but their efforts have failed.  The Navy has stated that it still remains their goal to convey the land to the HCDA.  However, if the HCDA decides not to move forward, they will consider other options.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 4-21-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Queens Medical Center to Purchase Hospital

The Queen’s Medical Center has announced that they will be purchasing and renovating the Hawaii Medical Center-West in Ewa for a total of $73.2 million. The land and building will be purchased for $21.2 million while $25 million will be spent on renovations. Another $27 million will be spent on purchasing new equipment for the facility. The hospital is scheduled to reopen in August 2013 and Queens announced that they will hire approximately 400 employees.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 8-3-2012, www.staradvertiser.com
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Queen’s Health System To Buy Hawaii Medical Center

The Queen’s Health System has announced that they hope to complete the purchase of Hawaii Medical Center within the next few months.  The Hawaii Medical Center-West closed its doors in December 2011, creating a shortage of emergency rooms on the West side of Oahu.  It is still unclear about how soon Queen’s will be able able to reopen the hospital doors.  Cedric Yamanaka, the director of corporate communications for Queen’s stated, “Queen’s recognizes the importance of reopening the St. Francis West hospital campus as soon as possible.  However, it is also important to underscore that this is only the first of many steps before a smooth, timely ownership transfer and reopening can be accomplished.”

Director of Honolulu’s Emergency Services Department, James Ireland is thankful for the news and stated that reopening the Ewa hospital “is the single most important health care issue facing Oahu right now.”  Ireland stated, “It’s hugely important to get the hospital and emergency room reopened. It’s been aninconvenience for residents of West Oahu to have to travel farther for medical care, and it’s also put a strain on the other hospitals.”

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-7-2012, www.staradvertiser.com

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Haseko Hawaii Inc and Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei Resort Communities

In November 2011, Haseko Hawaii Inc. had announced that they will no longer be developing a large man-made marina for their Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei Resort communities in Ewa Beach.  Haseko stated that the costs would be far too high and there was not enough demand to justify the additional expense for the 4,850-home residential and resort community.  However, over the past few months, members of the community have argued that one of the main reasons why Haseko was allowed to develop the area in the first place was due to their promise to build a marina.  In their original plan, Haseko stated that the marina would become to become a major source of employment for the Ewa region and provide an estimated 1,500 jobs at their maritime commercial complex.

Haseko has stated that they will turn the basin which they have dug for the marina into an enclosed recreational lagoon.  The developer will add a sandy shoreline for public access to their lagoon.  Vice president for Haseko, Sharene Saito Tam, stated that government approvals did not require Haseko to build a marina.  Tam noted, “The last thing we wanted to do was push forward with something that’s not feasible.”

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 2-5-2012, www.staradvertiser.com

Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor

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