Honolulu Condos: Hawaii: Honolulu: Kakaako

Revised Kakaako Waterfront Statement for Honolulu Neighborhood

A&B Properties, Inc. today presented a revised Kaka'ako Waterfront site plan proposal to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA). The new plan proposes significant revisions to the original plan including:

• -a reduction in the amount of land and number of residential units for the project's residential component through the elimination of one of the three residential pods;
• -the elimination of the pedestrian bridge linking Ala Moana Park and the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park;
• -the elimination of all proposed development at Kewalo Basin Park, resulting in the area remaining as it is today;
• -the elimination of all commercial development at Point Panic and the creation of additional parking space for this area.

The overall goal of the project continues to be to create a thriving, vibrant pedestrian-oriented community and gathering place for all of Hawaii!&s residents to enjoy.

"Since being chosen in September as the developer for this project, we have conducted an extensive community outreach effort,!( said Stan Kuriyama, CEO of A&B Properties, Inc. "We estimate that, over the last two and a half months, we have been able to reach 5,000 people in the community and inform them about our initial conceptual plan, and have solicited their input. Today, we have proposed to HCDA significant changes to our initial plan in response to that community input.

"Many of the changes we made were to address concerns raised by users of the ocean and Kewalo Basin. The bridge was a concern to boaters because of the height of their masts and the need for continuous access to the Basin. The Kewalo Park and Point Panic areas are extensively used by surfers, bodysurfers and other members of the public and, therefore, keeping these areas free of development, and increasing the parking at Point Panic, will dramatically reduce the impacts to those areas.

"The elimination of one of the three residential pods will serve to reduce the residential unit count, previously at about 950 units, by approximately a third. This was done in an attempt to reduce various impacts from the project, such as traffic and visual impacts, and to reduce the amount of land to be sold by the State. By eliminating one of the pods, approximately six acres will now be dedicated to residential use -- approximately 3 percent of the 200 acres the State owns in fee simple makai of Ala Moana Boulevard.

"At the same time, however, we acknowledge that the removal of this pod will not fully address a basic objection that has been raised to the sale of State land for residential development makai of Ala Moana Boulevard. These are policy issues that State government and our elected officials have the right to address.

"There are different visions that could be adopted for Kaka'ako Makai, ranging from more park space to a life science campus. If, however, it is determined that this vision of creating a vibrant "live, work, learn and play!( community !V a community that does not go dark at night when people leave their offices !V is the proper one for this area of Kaka'ako, then the residential component is obviously essential to achieving that vision.

"We look forward to HCDA!&s response to these proposed changes, and continue to welcome the community!&s input on this important project,!( concluded Kuriyama.

Since being chosen by HCDA in September to develop 36.5 acres of waterfront and the area surrounding Kewalo Basin, A&B has conducted more than 70 meetings with the community through forums, talk-story sessions and one-on-one meetings with a variety of individuals, state officials and groups that have an interest in Kaka'ako and Kewalo Basin. In addition, A&B solicited community input through a telephone hotline and Web site, www.kakaakowaterfront.org.

A&B Properties, Inc. (www.abprop.com) is the real estate subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., a diversified corporation headquartered in Honolulu. A&B!&s major lines of business are ocean transportation and intermodal services (Matson Navigation Company, Inc.; Matson Integrated Logistics, Inc.), real estate (A&B Properties, Inc.) and food products (Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company; Kauai Coffee Company, Inc.). Additional information about A&B may be found at its Web site: www.alexanderbaldwin.com.

For more information about the Kakaako neighborhood in Honolulu, as well as current Kakaako condo listings, please visit our website at www.HNLCondos.com.

Two New Condo Highrsies Planned for Kakaako, Honolulu

According to the Honolulu "Star Advertiser": 

"The kamaaina company shells out $16 million for 1.7 acres on which it will build a high-rise."

"

Alexander & Baldwin Inc. has bought undeveloped land in Kakaako approved long ago for a high-rise condominium, and plans to build a 40-story residential tower in 2012.

The company, through its real estate development affiliate A&B Properties Inc., bought the site next to the existing Hawaiki and Ko'olani luxury condo towers for $16 million.

The seller was K2 Investors LLC, an affiliate of California-based development firm Woodridge Capital LLC that planned a 400-foot luxury residential building on the site.

A&B also acquired a smaller nearby site previously envisioned by K2 for an eight-story residential building with moderately priced units that would have satisfied a state affordable-housing requirement.

Michael Wright, A&B Properties executive vice president, said the company believes it's a good time to prepare for the next upswing in urban Honolulu's housing market. "We feel good about the market improving," he said. "We really like the location."

Wright said A&B is aiming for a broad market segment with units priced below the $1 million luxury level, perhaps in the range of $600,000 to $900,000. If design and planning work proceed as expected, unit pre-sales could begin as early as the third quarter of 2011, he said.

Honolulu-based A&B is pursuing what would be the fourth condo tower plan for the site by as many owners.

The 1.7-acre main site was once part of a 17-acre parcel known as 404 Piikoi on which an investment trust of the South Pacific republic of Nauru gained state approval in 1984 to build five towers.

The trust, Nauru Phosphate Royalties (Honolulu) Development Inc., built the luxury Nauru Tower in 1991, and largely satisfied an affordable-housing requirement by completing the moderately priced tower 1133 Waimanu in 1996.

Nauru Phosphate also had begun building Hawaiki in 1993, but Hawaii's real estate downturn at the time stalled construction. After Hawaiki was completed in 1999, only 43 percent of its units were sold.

Under financial pressure, Nauru Phosphate sold the remaining two tower sites in 2003 to Miami-based developer Crescent Heights, which completed Ko'olani in 2006.

Crescent Heights advanced plans for the last tower, which it dubbed Ko'olua, but abandoned the project and sold the site to K2 in early 2007 for about $23 million.

K2 officials said they weren't deterred by what at the time was weakening demand for luxury condos in Honolulu, and expected to start construction on a 295-unit tower in 2008 along with 64 moderately priced units on the smaller parcel nearby. The company secured approvals from the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency regulating development in Kakaako, but didn't progress with sales or construction.

A&B's development history in Kakaako includes completing the Keola La'i high-rise on South Street in 2008 and investing in the luxury Hokua tower that is next to Nauru Tower and was developed by local firms the MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group in 2005. A&B also proposed building three condo towers on state land makai of Ala Moana Boulevard just Ewa of Kewalo Basin, but the Legislature killed that plan in 2006."

Kakaako Neighborhood:  Public Meeting Regarding Shoreline Development

According to "Hawaii News Now":

First came the sparks, citizens outraged about plans to develop on the Kakaako shoreline area. They were blasting the consultants as they unveiled possible blueprints, some citizens are upset that some of the consultants the state hired are from the mainland.

"I think they would be a bit more sensitive to the local community, instead of spending thousand of dollars looking into to Pikes Place in Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco," said Curtis Crabbe, a concerned citizen.

Then came the calm, a Hawaiian blessing brought everyone involved back to the focus at hand, working together to come up with the best development plan for last available shoreline open space in Honolulu.

"We are clear on the mandate that we have to build a public gathering place, sans housing, so despite a lot of controversy inside and people saying no housing no housing, it was never discussed," said Anthony Ching of the Hawaii Community Development Authority.

Part of the master plan already includes building a beachfront promenade with shops and restaurants, where the John Dominis restaurant currently is, and a parking lot that would have 1,100 spaces.

"We don't want developments to block our access, we want our free parking which is there now , so all those things come into place and we want access to the ocean," said Ron Iwasa, of the Friends of the Kewalos.

Four years ago hundreds of people rallied against the development of condos on the Kakaako Makai Area. Since then, legislation was passed that prohibits residential structures from being built, but business developments are allowed.

There will be one more community workshop in about two months where the pubic will be allowed to voice their opinion once again, then the final Kakaako Makai Master Development Plan will be complete by the fall.

OliverMcMillan Turns Stalled Condominium, Pacifica (Moana Vista) Into Catalyst for Honolulu

The dozens of people who camped out for two days recognized early-on the tremendous value of the 48-story redesigned Pacifica Honolulu project. OliverMcMillan - a San Diego-based real estate development firm that develops high quality urban mixed-use retail, entertainment and residential projects - announced today that firm contracts are in place for 244 of the 365 available market-rate residential units in the Pacifica Honolulu condominium project, and the $50 million construction loan closed with First Hawaiian Bank. With the presales and financing secured, construction on the $285 million project, the largest new high-rise residential project on Oahu, started April 26 with Ledcor Construction. A ground blessing was held on March 25, 2010.

OliverMcMillan acquired Pacifica Honolulu, formerly known as Moana Vista, in October 2009 from KC Rainbow II. The troubled property, located at 1009 Kapiolani Boulevard, had stopped construction in the fall of 2008 after the developer lost his construction loan and stopped funding the project with his own equity. The 27th floor of the concrete tower had been poured, and the exterior glass and interior finishes were partially underway.

OliverMcMillan thoughtfully redesigned the two-bedroom, 489 unit, limited-amenity project into a contemporary urban project with sophisticated design and amenities including one, two, and three bedroom residences. To date, 221 of the sales contracts have become non-refundable with deposits of 10 percent of the sales price in escrow. In September 2010, 124 additional residences will be offered for public sale to qualified local residents meeting moderate income requirements set forth by the Hawaii Community Development Authority. OliverMcMillan anticipates there will be hundreds of qualified residents hoping for the opportunity to purchase after the applications are released later this summer.

The 48-story, 430,200 square-foot Pacifica Honolulu project is expected to be completed in September 2011, creating more than 400 local construction jobs.

"Where others saw only impossible hurdles, OliverMcMillan saw opportunities," said Don Horner, Chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. "The firm should be congratulated for transforming a half-built, stalled property into a successful and attractive affordable housing opportunity."

Through strong banking and capital relationships developed over its 32-year history, OliverMcMillan was able to transform Pacifica Honolulu from a troubled property to a unique urban condo project in less than one year. OliverMcMillan's renowned development team includes: First Hawaiian Bank , Architects Hawaii , and Ledcor Construction Hawaii, LLC ., Jules Wilson and PhilPotts interior designers and the exclusive project broker, Heyer & Associates .

"The fact that we had buyers camped out to purchase Pacifica Honolulu units, a once troubled property, is a huge success in this economy," said Dene Oliver, CEO of OliverMcMillan. "The cohesive project team combined with the company goal to pass along the value to prospective buyers, is what created a win for everyone."

"The Pacifica Honolulu project is a value play. Three key components contribute to the success of this sale: good value, a highly desirable location and the fact that this is the low point of development in the cycle," said Ricky Cassiday, Independent Real Estate Market Analyst in Honolulu. "Pacifica Honolulu is one of the few instances of high rises coming on the market. It provides a rare opportunity for affordable housing in the center of Honolulu. Historically speaking, these are reasonable and affordable prices."

"We were very excited when OliverMcMillan came into the picture. They clearly wanted to create a new brand for the project and keep it consistent with their expectation of quality and creative approaches," said David Miller, Chairman and Principal of Architects Hawaii. "The amount of public areas and ambiance of the residence was enhanced tremendously under their direction."

The refined, urban condo building now features substantially upgraded interior finishes and amenities, as well as panoramic views of the ocean, mountain and downtown Honolulu. Additional amenities include:

"We have mobilized and construction has recommenced. OliverMcMillan has put together a very solid team, which is essential on a job like this," said Jeff Thompson, Vice President and Branch Manager for Ledcor Construction Hawaii, LLC.

About OliverMcMillan

OliverMcMillan is a 32-year-old private firm that develops unique, high quality mixed-use retail, entertainment and residential projects, both privately and through public-private partnerships with public entities and redevelopment agencies. While demonstrating sensitivity to the community's unique needs, OliverMcMillan brings creative solutions to the complexities of developing urban and suburban places and destinations. Because of its expertise, strong architectural vision, experience working with communities and public agencies and significant financial and analytical strength, OliverMcMillan creates projects that form a catalyst for economic revitalization, financial return, growth and place making. Looking at the big picture, OliverMcMillan makes long-term commitments to its developments and acquisitions by developing tomorrow's vision today, in a manner that will serve the community well into the future.

You may find further information about Pacifica Condos at our website, www.HNLCondos.com.

Discover Loft Living at Vanguard Lofts, Kakaako, Honolulu, HI

An Interesting Conversion:

Moving Forward

The Vanguard Lofts is the renovation and conversion of the old National Cash Register (NCR) office building into a modern mixed-use urban loft project.

The Vanguard Lofts features just 34 residential lofts as well as 3,616 square feet of ground floor retail, marking the first time such a conversion has been developed in Honolulu.

In addition to refurbishing the former NCR building, the Vanguard Lofts also includes a new six-story building that will connect to and be of equal height to the former NCR building.

As part of Kakaako and located in the heart of midtown Honolulu, The Vanguard Lofts symbolizes Hawaii's embracement of progressive modern living spaces while also honoring the heritage of a historic building's past.

23 Unique Floor Plans

Choose the living space that fits your unique style. Each of the 34 Vanguard lofts provides its owner with a flexible space that is the essence of form and function.

From 827 sf one-bedrooms to a 2,273 sf four bedroom, four and a half bath plus den urban sanctuary, this space is yours.

Custom Finishes

Customize your Loft to suit your life. Begin by selecting between Light Filled Loft, Sophisticated City, or Urban Midnight. Each baseline style includes its own specific kitchen and bathroom finishes, hardwood and/or concrete floors, and granite and/or stone countertops.

Most units include high ceilings, expansive industrial sized windows, distinctive sliding wall panels, exposed concrete walls and ceilings, a gourmet's kitchen with Thermador professional series gas ranges, GE full size front load washer and dryer, spacious walk-in closets, Kohler and Toto plumbing fixtures, and several of the master bathrooms include multiple shower heads.

For those of you that are wine aficionados, you can outfit your kitchen with a 15" or 24" wide under-counter wine fridge or select the spacious 18" or 24" wide full height (7 ft tall) wine fridge.

Rooftop Pool Or Private Deck?

Step outside for a cocktail, or better yet, entertain a few friends on your private outdoor deck before a night on the town.

All Loft owners will enjoy their resident Skydeck with pool, whirlpool spa, BBQ pavilion, resident bar, and pool cabanas.

Eighteen of the Lofts will also include a large private walkout or walk-up rooftop deck (from 326 to 1,868 square feet) with the option for a built-in outdoor kitchen with gas BBQ, private 7' x 7' whirlpool spa and a personal rooftop garden. In addition, 31 lofts have large private walk out lanais. Perfect for entertaining a few friends or spending time with your family in your private urban outdoor retreat.

View Current, Active Listings of more Honolulu Condos at our website.

Kakaako Neighborhood in Honolulu - Development Plans Underway for Beach Park

Strong community opposition stopped plans to build condos and shops along the Kakaako Waterfront.

Now, four years later, there's another development effort underway for Kakaako Makai.

It's an area known to be popular for bodysurfing and its beautiful scenic views.

"I seen the park change a lot and just my concern is we want the park to be the best place it can be," said Kanekoa Crabbe with the Point Panic Bodysurfing Club.

Saturday, several community members voiced their concerns on making Kakaako Makai a gathering place while preserving Hawaii's culture.

"This park not only needs to serve not only Kakaako but the rest of Honolulu because the other parks are at capacity on the weekends," said Michelle Matson with the Community Planning Advisory Council.

Back in 2006, hundreds of community members rallied against the plan to build two residential units at the park.

The community's concerns were heard and a law was passed prohibiting the sale of state land while preventing residential development.

Now, the Hawaii Community Development Authority has hired several firms to help draft a plan with the community's input.

"We really want to stimulate the conversation at the community level and help them kind of dissect what the situation might be or what the ultimate plan might be," said Geoff Miasnik with MVE Pacific.

Some ideas presented Saturday include building a bike path, a facility for recreational sports and providing more open space at the park.

"To keep it open for all the people of Honolulu and the visitors as a recreational area with facilities that will serve the public," said Matson.

Some immediate changes already in the works at Kakaako are plans to develop a new cancer center at the U-H John A. Burns School of Medicine, improvements to Fisherman's Wharf and maintenance of the park's restrooms.

"We also believe that the agency in charge of this area has learned a lot in this process and has learned a lot in the value of community based planning," said Matson.

Another meeting to hear community input will be held Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the U-H John A. Burns School of Medicine.

One Waterfront Tower - Bank Owned Foreclosure

One Waterfront Tower, aka 415 South Street, is one of my favorite condo buildings in the Kaka'ako neighborhood of Honolulu.  We affectionately refer to the two towers as the "paper clip" buildings.  Right now there is a 1,470 sqft condo on the 3^rd floor of the Makai Tower for sale at a great price.  Unit 301 is a two-bedroom, 2-bath unit with nicely protected water and city views, as well as a great layout in general.  It is a Leasehold property.

OneWaterfront Tower #Makai 301 is priced at $460,000 and is bank owned (a foreclosure).  To give you an idea of value, available comparable sales of leasehold properties in the building show an average cost per square foot of $423.  OneWaterfront Tower #Makai 301 at $460,000 is $313 a square foot, or $110 less per square foot, or a savings of $161,810 overall!!

If you want a great condo in a great building at a great price, here's your chance.  Don't wait - this will sell quickly.  This is not our listing, however we can represent any buyer.

One Waterfront Condos - Building Details

One Waterfront Condos - Floor Plans & Configurations

One Waterfront Condos - More Photos

One Waterfront Condos - More Current Listings

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Ward Warehousein Kakaakao, Honolulu

This last Tuesday afternoon my friend and I headed over to Ward Warehouse, a mall near Honolulu. Although smaller and less well known than the world famous Ala Moana shopping mall, which is not far from Ward, Ward Warehouse still has much to offer. Also, be careful not to confuse Ward Warehouse with its cousin, Ward Center, which is actually down the street a ways from Ward Center (although it is not that far).

There is a hair salon (Bobbi & Guy) here where I sometimes gets my hair cut. Since we decide to wander about, we check out some of the shops, such as the guitar store on the second floor. They have many fine instruments for sale in here, including ukuleles and traditional guitars. Next to the guitar store is a hobby shop featuring board games having to do with wizardry and the like. Strange, but if you need to find 12-sided dice and ceramic dragons, this is the place in Hawaii to go. Also, we found time to stop into the bookstore next to the hair salon, and they have some awesome Hawaiian crafts in here (with prices to match), including drums, fishhook necklaces and shark tooth clubs.

We ate dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which opens at 5 pm. This is a national chain restaurant which offers good, cheap Italian food, and, at Ward Center, you can actually get a decent ocean view, too. We sat in a large booth right next to a window looking out over the harbor. I had the spaghetti with Portuguese sausage (local flavor), while my friend ordered the traditional spaghetti and meatballs. We also shared a carafe of red wine.

After that we were ready to walk around the ‘warehouse' some more. There is a juice store next to the Dairy Queen that makes excellent fresh fruit smoothies. For something different, try the Durian! We also stopped in at the As Seen on TV store, where you can see and buy all those nifty gadgets and gizmos advertised on television. Our last stop was the pet store, where they have adorable puppies on display plus all the usual pet supplies. They don't sell fish, but they do carry some aquarium supplies.

One advantage to Ward Warehouse is that it is less crowded overall than Ala Moana. So, next time you're in the mood for some mall action but aren't looking forward to fighting the crowds at Ala Moana, consider checking out Ward Warehouse.

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Sales Restarting - Pacifica in Honolulu, Hawaii, formerly Moana Vista

Pacifica in Honolulu, Hawaii, formerly Moana Vista, set to restart sales

Sales for a Kakaako condominium project that stalled last year are set to resume next month as the new owner gets ready to restart construction.  Sales are expected to begin around January 15, 2010.

San Diego-based developer OliverMcMillan plans to give the first opportunity to buy to the 175 original buyers who had their purchase contracts canceled by the project's original developer, KC Rainbow II, in September.

Architects Hawaii, which designed the original building, will continue to work on the project, along with Baldridge and Associates and Lincolne Scott.

OliverMcMillan also brought on New York-based architecture firm Gensler to redesign the public and common element spaces and exterior of the building.

The redesign includes a large motor court entry and a wood and glass lobby space for residents facing the Waimanu Street side of the building.

The 15,000 square feet of retail space facing Kapiolani Boulevard has been redesigned with large glass windows. The exterior of the concrete building, which was originally designed to be painted white, will be painted shades of metallic blue and silver instead, Oliver said.

The recreation deck, which had been designed with only a swimming pool, will also have green space, a large gym, barbecue areas, two small movie theaters, and a party room - a total of 4,000 square feet of extra floor space the developer purchased from the HCDA.

The finishes inside the units will also be upgraded; the firm plans to donate bathroom tile and fixtures and other materials that were already purchased to local charities.

OliverMcMillan is spending about $5 million for the additional amenities, and $1 million on the lobby but Oliver said the firm feels the additional design elements are worth the added expense.

The firm has also hired local interior design firm Philpotts & Associates, which will work with San Diego-based Jules Wilson ID on the interior spaces.

Oliver noted that the market was probably at its worst when the firm started looking at what he called a "broken real estate project" about nine months ago.

"We were able to see there was a viable business opportunity," he said. "We saw an opportunity to come in with some aloha spirit and solve some problems."

The company, which has promoted its development Managing Director Dan Nishikawa to run the Hawaii office, sees a future with urban mixed-use projects in Honolulu.

It has already had discussions with the Queen Emma Land Co., which is choosing a master developer for its International Marketplace redevelopment in Waikiki, and also with Kamehameha Schools, which plans to redevelop its Kakaako mauka land into an urban village.

Kakaako Master Plan Moves Forward

Kakaako is a great neighborhood located just west of the Waikiki area and Ala Moana Park and Shopping Center.  One of the most valuable areas in this urban neighborhood is the Kewalo Basin, whcih is prime waterfront land.

The effort to create a community-based master plan for 31.5 acres of mostly vacant state property next to Kewalo Basin in Kaka'ako will take another important step tomorrow, introducing a design consultant to the planning process.

Representatives of design firm MVE will be at a meeting tomorrow with a community advisory council and the Hawai'i Community Development Authority.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. at HCDA's offices at 677 Ala Moana.

The agency earlier this year approved spending $600,000 to create a master plan for the land three years after the cancellation of an ambitious yet controversial plan from Alexander & Baldwin Inc. to redevelop much of the Kaka'ako peninsula with a mix of high-rise condominiums, retail and public attractions.

MVE is an experienced design firm based in California with a Honolulu office. The firm has been involved in a variety of Hawai'i projects, including an affordable housing community on the Big Island and the planned affordable high-rise tower Halekauwila Place in Kaka'ako. The firm also was involved in design work for a Kaka'ako Peninsula plan by local developer Stanford Carr that was third runner-up to the A&B plan selected by HCDA.

Ron Iwami, chairman of the 50-member Kaka'ako Makai Community Planning Advisory Council, said the group needs more residents to help shape the new master plan for the site that now prohibits housing.

The council has produced a set of guiding principles that include expanding the area's shoreline parks, preserving open view planes, providing a shoreline promenade and including cultural facilities such as museums and a community center.

Some restaurants, cafes and small shops are also part of the group's vision to complement public facilities.

Actual conceptual design features will be a product of work between the HCDA, the public and the design consultant.

Planning meetings with the council are held on the first Tuesday of each month. A series of planning workshops are also slated for Jan. 29 to 31. A final master plan is anticipated to be finished in June 2010.

More information can be found at http://www.hcdaweb.org.