Honolulu Condos: Hawaii: Honolulu: Kakaako

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

Subscribe to our "Honolulu Distressed Properties" Weekly Newsletter

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.

Learn More about Honolulu Neighborhoods

Learn more about Kakaako Neighborhood

See Kakaako Condos For Sale

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.

Unfinished Moana Vista Condo Highrise in Honolulu, Hawaii to Become Pacifica

I had previously written two blog articles about the Moana Vista Condo building, located in the Kakaako neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, "SOLD!!! Would You Like to Purchase an Unfinished Honolulu Condo Tower? " and "SOLD AGAIN!!! Would You Like to Purchase an Unfinished Honolulu Condo Tower?"

A San Diego-based developer has closed on a deal to take over the stalled Moana Vista high-rise condominium project and plans to resume work early next year.

The project will be renamed Pacifica, developer OliverMcMillan said in a news release.

A number of readers have shown interest in learning more about pricing and availability for the new Pacifica.  From what we have learned so far, the developer plans to give the half-completed 492-unit residential tower on Kapiolani Boulevard new exterior elevations, upgraded interior design and resort-level amenities, development director Dan Nishikawa has stated.

"OliverMcMillan intends to improve the common area amenities and some upper-unit floor plans," Nishikawa said. "When completed, Pacifica is going to be a special place, a high-quality home, and will enhance the surrounding communities."

The developer plans to begin a new sales and marketing program for the building and as soon as that information becomes available, we will be sure and share it with our clients and post it here as well.