kakaako magazine

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

An Urban Village Takes ShapeA new sustainable urban community by The Howard Hughes Corporation

kakaakomagazine

2015 EDITION

Urban Living on the Rise

Buying into the Neighborhood

Unpaving the Way for a Public Park


OVER 135 SPECIALTY SHOPS & RESTAURANTS TO DISCOVER

Ward VillageCenters

Around You

WARDVILLAGESHOPS.COM

Ward Centers is changing to Ward Village.

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Bobby SenahaVP & [email protected] (808) 534-7575

Christine [email protected]

Jen Tadaki CatanzaritiART [email protected] (808) 534-7592

Jill HamasakiDIR. OF SALES & [email protected] (808) 534-7569

David SurASSOCIATE AD [email protected] (808) 534-7124

Marche KawanoSR. ACCOUNT [email protected] (808) 534-7554

Gary DelizOPERATIONS [email protected] (808) 534-7540

Kakaako Magazine is published by Hawaii Business magazine, December 2014.

©2014 by PacificBasin Communications, 1000 Bishop St., Suite 405, Honolulu, HI 96813.

3DECEMBER 2014kakaako magazine •

CONTENTS

4 The Center of EverythingKakaako’s unique stores, restaurants and events make it a destination worth exploring.

6 An Icon RestoredThe IBM Building has returned to its rightful place as a treasured symbol.

8 A New Direction for WardHoward Hughes Corporation’s Hawaii team explains the vision behind the changes of its property and new name Ward Village

10 Kakaako RememberedWhile the neighborhood is changing, its history is still alive.

13 Changing PlacesA suburban lifestyle has dominated the pattern of development for decades until recently.

16 Buying in KakaakoThe real estate outlook in Kakaako is positive.

18 Unpaving ParadiseA 4-acre privately-held public park is being planned in the middle of urban Kakaako.

21 The Future of Kewalo BasinImprovements are planned to ensure that the harbor is maintained and easily accessible to the public in a sustainable way.

23 Building a Community, One Grant at a TimeThe new charitable arm of the Howard Hughes Corporation is helping Oahu’s nonprofits.

kakaakomagazine

A NOTE FROM DAVID STRIPH

Ward Village – Revitalizing a Neighborhood

It’s a particularly energetic and

inspiring time of year at Ward Village, and

much has changed over the course of a

year as our master plan for the community

comes to life. We’ve introduced several

exciting new recurring community events, launched the Ward

Village Foundation, broken ground on our first two residential

projects, and announced great new retailers who will soon be

moving into our neighborhood – including a much-needed

flagship grocery store for the people of Honolulu.

All of this contributes to a vision we all share for Ward Village

– to create a thoughtfully designed, thriving gathering place that

truly offers something for everyone.

Over a hundred years ago, Victoria Ward and her family

began to transform Ward Village into a place where people

could come to enjoy their free time. Historically, this place was

a vibrant fishing community and gathering place. Today, we

continue that legacy, offering even more ways for people to

enjoy Ward Village, through

public events showcasing

our arts and culture like the

Courtyard Cinema, and

promoting healthy lifestyles

with events like the Ward Village

Nite Run and the weekly yoga

series in partnership with Core

Power Yoga.

As Ward Village moves forward with its master plan, people

have begun to experience a truly vibrant and interconnected

neighborhood with dynamic public spaces, exceptional

residences, complete streets, and community attractions.

Nestled between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, Ward Village

is evolving into a place that will truly change the quality of life

for the better for all that live, work, and play here.

TThe Center of EverythingKakaako’s centralized neighborhood of unique stores, restaurants and events make it a destination worth exploring. BY CHRISTINE HITT

THERE ARE MORE THAN 135 specialty shops and restaurants at Ward Village

today, including Na Mea Hawaii, Eden in Love, Paina Café and T.J.

Maxx, and its plan is to continue to add more that are uniquely local,

along with national ones that appeal to local shoppers.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

Next year, Hawaii’s flagship Whole Foods Market store will break ground

with a completion date set for 2017. Its 50,000 square foot store will sit on

the corner of Queen and Kamakee Streets on Ward Village’s property—

the block where Office Depot is now located. “One key difference

between Whole Foods Queen and our existing Hawaii stores is that we

will have more room to play with the new store, as it has significantly

greater square footage. This will allow us to offer a greater selection of

the highest quality of natural and organic products. We also hope to

offer a full restaurant setting with a bar,” says Claire Sullivan, Hawaii

Coordinator for Whole Foods Market. It will also bring with it around 200

jobs at opening and contributions to the local economy by way of its local

purchasing program. “In our fiscal year 2014, we purchased over

$11 million worth of products from local Hawaii producers, of which over

$6 million was from farms, ranches, dairies and apiaries.”

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE ONGOING EVENTS IN KAKAAKO.

KAKAAKO FARMERS’ MARKET Pick up locally-grown fruits and veggies.

Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Ward Warehouse, wardvillageshops.com

WARD VILLAGE COURTYARD CINEMA Watch unique free outdoor films.

Second Thursday of each month. Ward Village Information Center and Sales Gallery Courtyard (former IBM Building), 1240 Ala Moana Blvd., wardvillagecourtyardcinema.com

ART & FLEA Shop clothes, art, vintage collections and food.

Every last Thursday of the month. 1020 Auahi St., artandflea.com

WARD VILLAGE YOGA SERIES Enjoy a complimentary yoga class.

Every Thursday from 5:30-6:30pm, Ward Village Information Center and Sales Gallery Courtyard (former IBM Building), 1240 Ala Moana Blvd., www.wardvillage.com

(CorePower Yoga will open its Ward Village studio under T.J. Maxx by the end of 2014.)


kakaakoTake advantage of the free valet on the second floor of the Ward Entertainment Center from now through the end of 2014.

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4 DECEMBER 2014 • kakaako magazine

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TAN ICON RESTOREDAfter being on the brink of demolition, the IBM Building has returned to its rightful place as a treasured symbol of Honolulu’s past. BY CHRISTINE HITT

THE HOWARD HUGHES CORPORATION unveiled its $24.4 million renovation

of the IBM Building earlier this year and received a Historic Hawaii

Foundation preservation award for its efforts. This is a remarkable turn of

events, given that the building was slated to be demolished only six years

earlier.

Previous landowner General Growth Properties had planned to tear

down the IBM Building. The nonprofit, Historic Hawaii Foundation, whose

goal is to preserve historic properties, was not happy and added the building

to its list of endangered places with the intent of drawing attention to

the plans. “We felt that was an inappropriate decision and felt that people

would agree with us if they knew what was going on,” says Historic Hawaii

Foundation executive director Kiersten Faulkner. When The Howard

Hughes Corporation (HHC) acquired the IBM Building as part of its Ward

Village portfolio from General Growth Properties, the tides changed.

“It’s an iconic building and it does have a special history,” says Nick

Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for HHC. The IBM

Building was designed in 1965 by Vladimir Ossipoff, a premier architect

in Honolulu in the 20th century. Faulkner believes it to be one of the best

examples of Ossipoff’s commercial design work, and points out that it’s

¡ The IBM Building and its concrete brise-soleil facade now has a firm presence in Kakaako’s future.

kakaako

also an early example of using

formed concrete. “He was

looking at having a reflection

of the Polynesian tattooing

and geometric pattern, but

also melding that with the IBM

Corporation’s symbolism,” says

Faulkner.

After meetings with

community members and

organizations, including the

Historic Hawaii Foundation, HHC

decided against demolishing the

building and, instead, it invested

in bringing the building up to

modern standards. The ground

floor now houses the Ward

Village information center and

showcases models of the planned

60-acre Ward Village project.

“We saw the opportunity to take

the existing building, reinvest in

something that had been really left

to deteriorate for the last decade,

and to make it that place where

everyone comes to learn about

what’s happening at Ward Village,”

says Vanderboom.

The building, Faulkner says,

also adds a layer of history to the

city as it moves forward.



7JANUARY 2013 · MAUI BUSINESS REPORT

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restaurants, and also the great

national ones that maybe don’t exist

here yet that has something that

appeals to the local buyers. We don’t

want to be another Ala Moana or

Kalakaua Avenue. From a residential

perspective, our goal is to continue

to appeal to a range of audiences

but to make this a place that people

live, and the units are occupied, and

it’s really a vibrant neighborhood.

own character and so, to us, we’re

transforming this into an urban

master planned community, and so

it became the idea of a village. It’s

not a whole city. We wanted this to

be an urban village in a community.

Q: What is the demographic of people that you’re hoping to attract from a retail and residential perspective?

A: We’re really focused on

continuing to be the home

for locally owned shops and

kakaako

A NEW DIRECTION FOR WARDWith condos being constructed and other projects pending approval, the area known to locals as Ward is changing, but not just in the form of the landscape. Here, The Howard Hughes Corporation’s Hawaii team explains the vision behind the changes of its 60-acre property and its new name Ward Village. BY CHRISTINE HITT

NICK VANDERBOOM Senior Vice President,

Development

The Howard Hughes Corporation

Question: Why was Ward Village chosen as the community’s name?

Answer: The name Ward has a great

history and a lot of recognition.

We felt in looking at a name for the

community that [the Ward family]

was such an important part of the

history, that honoring Ward in the

name was important.

Ward Centers was a name that

reflected the current nature of

the project where you have a lot

of different retail projects built at

different times. Ward Warehouse

was built in the ‘70s, Ward Centre

in the ‘80s, some of the other

buildings in the ‘90s, and the

theater around 2000. It kind of

reflected this collection of different

shopping destinations. Each had its



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RACE RANDLE Senior Director, Development,


Q: There is a large park in the master plan. How does this fit into Ward Village’s plans?

A: Ward Village’s vision is to continue to be a gathering place. So, the easiest way to get people to gather is to give lots of space with different uses that people like to do together, like eating, entertainment and outdoor activities—and you make it really easy to get there. The yet-to-be-named public park will evenutally be nearly four acres.

BOBBIE LAU Senior General Manager,

Ward Village

Q: What should shoppers expect with the changes and new developments?

A: We are moving toward a community experience. We have different things going on already, the Ward Village Courtyard Cinema every month, our weekly yoga series with CorePower Yoga every Thursday, Art & Flea with us every fourth Thursday, The Kakaako Farmers’ Market every Saturday, and we’ll continue to build and become an integrated community.



H¡ Victoria and Curtis Ward’s family home, Old Plantation, once stood where Neal S. Blaisdell Center is today.

kakaako


Kakaako—created in partnership

with the Bishop Museum—

including information about

Victoria Ward, for whom the land

is most commonly identified.

“Ward Village is helping

reclaim her story,” says Enos.

Ward was born in Nuuanu

in 1846. She and her husband,

Curtis Perry Ward, once owned a

Kakaako RememberedWhile the neighborhood may change, its history is still alive. BY TIFFANY HILL

HAWAII IS A MOOLELO, a story. Its people and their traditions are stories and

these moolelo cannot be forgotten. This is how Solomon Enos views the

island home where he was born and raised. As a Native Hawaiian artist, he

says it’s his purpose to share Hawaii’s history with everyone. “When people

come over here, they become part of this story and it’s our relationship and

our responsibility to define these stories,” says Enos. “Defining that, how we

build and how we live, there should be a mindfulness.”

The Howard Hughes Corporation has taken a similar approach in

perpetuating the stories of Hawaii’s land and its people. Take the newly

remodeled IBM Building, for example. Now called the Ward Village

Information Center and Sales Gallery, the building’s most striking

ground-floor feature is a vibrant yellow mural of the Hawaiian goddess

Keaomelemele commissioned by Enos.

“As you walk around it, you get a sense of the story of the location

through these images of the past,” says Enos. The mural, which took the

artist a week to make, depicts Keaomelemele, who after learning to chant,

shook the island with her magnetic voice. She caused an earthquake,

splitting Oahu in two and creating Nuuanu Valley.

The building also boasts an interactive map highlighting the history of



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Shaping the Future of Kakaako

Auahi Shops

Anaha Tower

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Untitled-5 1 11/11/14 3:05 PM

more than 100-acre estate,

including the Ward Village

land. She was a lifelong

supporter of Native Hawaiian

rights; she supported

Queen Liliuokalani after

the overthrow and the

Wards gave to the Kapiolani

Maternity Hospital—now the

Kapiolani Medical Center

for Women & Children—

among other places.

“We are very supportive

of the culture here and learning

and understanding the traditions

and (bringing) that forward in our

development,” adds David Striph,


senior vice president of Hawaii.

Paulette Kaanohiokalani

Kaleikini has perhaps an even

more personal connection to

the land. Her great grandfather’s

brother was a kahu (minister) to

the alii of the area. Today, Kaleikini

does her part in perpetuating

Kakaako’s history as a cultural

practitioner. Kaleikini and her

family meet with the The Howard

Hughes Corporation’s Hawaii

team monthly to discuss the

design and development of Ward

Village.

As a cultural practitioner

of Kakaako, as well as Waikiki,

Kaleikini works with several

development companies.

She is passionate about

her ancestors buried

there and has even sued

organizations before.

Kaleikini says The Howard

Hughes Corporation comes

at its development with

respect for the Hawaiian

community. “They do keep

us abreast with their plans,

they involve us in all their

consultations, designs,

we participate,” says Kaleikini.

“They’re sensitive to our cultural

issues; they recognize it.”

Both Kaleikini and Enos

continue to be involved as the

neighborhood evolves. The two

feel hopeful the history and

moolelo of the land will live on

through the art, design, landscape

and even residents of the

development.

¡ Victoria and Curtis Ward


point where it’s simply not worth driving an hour

or an hour and a half to get to work,” says local

economist Paul Brewbaker. So, what happens, as

a correlation, is that the further the housing is

from the city center, the more affordable it is. But,

Brewbaker says, people pay for that affordability

by spending a large portion of their lives stuck in

traffic.

Another reason for the reversing trend is the

change in traditional households. The household

pattern isn’t made up of only a married couple

with children anymore. The DBEDT’s statistics in

household growth shows the number of one-person

Changing Places A suburban lifestyle has dominated the pattern of development for decades until recently.

BY CHRISTINE HITT

SSITTING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC heading west on the

H-1 Freeway can be an abysmal experience. If you’re

lucky, it will take you about an hour and a half to get

to your home in Ewa or Kapolei. If there’s a traffic

accident, it could take double that time.

Within the last few years, the desire to live a

suburban life has declined, not just in Hawaii but

also on the mainland. Worsening traffic in Honolulu

could be one cause among many, according to a

report released by the State Department of Business,

Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)

earlier this year. In 2011, urban population growth

began to outpace suburban growth. “It’s come to a



households for the past 50 years has tripled, while

the traditional family households has decreased

from 86 percent to 67 percent in 2010.

Not only will Kakaako’s urban core lifestyle fit the

changing shape of households and communities,

but it will also provide positive impacts to the

economy through its construction projects,

increased jobs and higher property taxes. The

Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) is the largest

landowner in Kakaako and estimates that economic

impacts will be huge. “When finished, our first

mixed-use project, Waiea, will generate about $2

million per year in incremental property taxes to the

city and county,” says Nicholas Vanderboom, senior

vice president of development for HHC. Compare

that to Waiea’s current property taxes of about

$200,000.

HHC is meeting housing demand for urban

core living, but demand will continue to far exceed

supply due to the increasing number of people in

non-traditional households who hope to work and

play in the city that they live.

2010

1,000

5,000

10,000

1990

2000

Source: Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, June 2014

POPULATION IN KAKAAKO

The population is easily expected to double within several years,

according to the state’s newest report

THE HOWARD HUGHES

CORPORATION’S ECONOMIC IMPACTS

4,250 jobs provided per year

over the span of 15 years

$700 MILLION

of state tax revenue during development

$51 MILLION

in ongoing annual state tax revenues post-

development

$11.8 BILLION

economic impact on State of Hawaii

Source: The Howard Hughes Corporation

IMPACT OF $2 BILLION KAKAAKO

CONSTRUCTION ON THE ECONOMY

$4.1 BILLIONOutput generated

$1.2 BILLIONHousehold Income

generated

$215 MILLION State tax revenue

generated

18,000 JOB YEARS Total jobs generated/

supported –

Source: Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, June 2014 Source: Department

of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, June 2014

HOUSEHOLD GROWTH IN HAWAII FROM 1960 TO 2010

Total Households in Hawaii:

2010 455,338

1960 153,064

Traditional Type (Married with children):

2010 91,610

1960 85,986

Living alone:

2010 106,175

1960 18,495

“[Residents] might work in the community, they might work downtown, they might work somewhere nearby, but basically they can get from home to work in maybe 10 or 15 minutes on foot or by bike.”

–Lindsey Doi, compliance assurance and community outreach officer for HCDA


Not only will Kakaako’s urban core lifestyle fit the changing shape of households and communities, but it will also provide positive impacts to the economy

through its construction projects, increased jobs and higher property taxes.

HB 12-14 Kakaako v8.indd 14 11/18/14 11:48 AM


PAUL BREWBAKER is an economist at his own firm TZ Economics and previously worked as chief economist for Bank of Hawaii.

IS THIS A HOUSING BOOM? No. If things continue as they have the past nine months, there would

never have been a year with less housing development since 1944, during World War II. This year, 754 new housing units were authorized in the first nine months by the City and County Department of Planning and Permitting. At that rate, it will be about 1,000 units

this year. According to the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, Hawaii needs 5,200 units to be built each year until 2020 to adequately supply Hawaii’s population’s growth.

THE ECONOMIST RESPONDS

RE

ND

ER

ING

: HC

DA



ground and we are slightly above

71% sold,” she says. “It’s the first

time that Honolulu’s really had an

urban area that’s more than just a

building being planned. In other

areas, like Makiki,

you’d have a devel-

oper come in and

build a project, but

they have no control

about what surrounds

it.” This is what makes

The Howard Hughes

Corporation’s projects

so unique, she adds,

because they have the

opportunity to plan

an entire commu-

nity with retail, resi-

dential, street-scapes

and open spaces in a

convenient, walkable,

bike-friendly neigh-

borhood—and that’s what buyers

want.

Kakaako’s residential devel-

opments are planned to include

housing of all income levels, ac-

cording to the state

agency Hawaii Com-

munity Development

Authority (HCDA). All

residential develop-

ments in the area are

required to include

a certain percentage

of reserved housing

units. The HCDA has

enlisted rules to en-

sure that a buyer’s goal

is to live there, and not

sell the properties that

they snatch up.

So far, McDur-

man and The Howard

Hughes Corporation’s

AATTRACTING BUYERS to Kakaako’s

residential community is not

proving difficult, and realtor Kai

McDurman attributes this to

the opportunity for them to be a

part of a unique urban lifestyle.

“Just being able to live, walk to a

theater, walk to a restaurant, go to

the beach and work all in the same

neighborhood is very appealing to

buyers,” she says.

McDurman is a residential real

estate agent and projects director

for Coldwell Banker Pacific Proper-

ties. She has worked with Alexan-

der & Baldwin’s Keola Lai, KC Rain-

bow’s Moana Pacific and, now, The

Howard Hughes Corporation’s two

condo projects in-development

called Waiea and Anaha—and sales

are going very well.“Waiea is under

construction and we’re about 84%

sold, and Anaha recently broke

WAIEA AND ANAHA AMENITIES

Fitness centers

Theater and performance rooms

Dining rooms with catering and chef’s

kitchen

Victoria Ward library

Children’s play area

Pool and hot tub

Dog park

Barbecue pavilions

BUYING IN KAKAAKOThe real estate outlook in Kakaako is positive as buyers look forward to a neighborhood filled with amenities and activities.

BY CHRISTINE HITT



senior vice president of develop-

ment Nick Vanderboom says that

they are seeing a good mix of peo-

ple that includes locals and part

time homeowners. “The majority

of our initial buyers are local resi-

dents. Residences at Ward Village

appeal to a range of buyers who

want to live in a vibrant neighbor-

hood,” says Vanderboom.

Hawaii Children’s Discov-

ery Center president Loretta Ya-

jima looks forward to seeing what

the “thoughtful development” in

the area will provide for families.

Currently, many of the children

visiting the center come by bus

through its school programs—60%

of that school population coming

from Ewa. “We look to serve the

entire state, but we do lack the crit-

ical mass around the center in the

Kakaako area,” Yajima says. “I really

hope that in the not too distant fu-

ture that local families will be able

to enjoy the parks here, the shore-

line here, and that we’ll have lots of

activities for families with young

children in the area.”

It’s too soon to say how many

families these Kakaako projects

will produce, but Waiea’s and Ana-

ha’s one, two and three bedroom

residences, along with its ameni-

ties of a large open park and chil-

dren’s play area may help bring a

mixed neighborhood of people.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIFE

Ward Village Shops

Ala Moana Shopping Center

Iolani Palace

Honolulu Museum of Art

Downtown Honolulu & Capitol District

Neal Blaisdell Center

Concert Hall and Arena

Ala Moana Beach Park

Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center

Kewalo Basin

Ward Village Public Park

¡ Kakaako’s growing amount of community activities is very attractive to prospective buyers.

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the Ward Village team talked with the area’s cultural

descendants and their feedback prompted HHC to

decide to try to bring this water back to the people.

“Water means so much to people. Let’s make it the

central unifying element,” adds Randle, describing the

fundamental feature of HHC’s 4-acre park.

A PUBLIC PARK ON PRIVATE LAND

Between two new high rise buildings, the

Gateway, HHC plans to peel back concrete, asphalt

and decades-old structures to create a public park. It

will run mauka to makai and connect the planned

rail stop at Ward Village to Kewalo Basin. There will

be a promenade and an open waterway. The public

will also benefit from the park’s regular maintenance,

landscaping, private security and well-lit areas.

The Hawaii Community Development

Authority (HCDA) has an open space requirement

for developers in Kakaako to help serve the

community, but what’s unique in The Howard

IIT WAS DISCOVERED BY CIRCUMSTANCE. The Howard

Hughes Corporation (HHC) and its team of architects

were reviewing a 1931 map of the Ward properties

when they noticed a strange detail—an easement

running through the property. Confused by the

wording used to describe it, they decided to search

for its location outside on the streets of Kakaako.

“We literally got up from the office, walked over

to the site where it was located and picked up the

manhole that was shown on the plans from 1931.

And when we pulled the manhole off the ground,

there was a stream with fish swimming in it,” says

Race Randle, senior development director for HHC.

Peering down at a stream flowing under Kakaako’s

streets, they all immediately understood the reference

made on the map. “We knew there was a stream, it

shows up in all historical imagery. But, we didn’t know

where it was, we didn’t know what it looked like, the

water quality, any of that,” says Randle. On finding it,

Unpaving ParadiseA 4-acre privately-held public park is being planned in the middle of urban Kakaako at a space that has been covered in asphalt for more than 70 years.

BY CHRISTINE HITT &

LURLINE WAILANA

MCGREGOR



Hughes Corporation’s case is that its intention is

to combine the space to create a park ambiance.

“[What we’re doing is] very counter to projects

previously completed that have generally built small

park elements on each individual project rather

than combining them all into one large community

feature,” says Randle.

The park is not intended to be a static recreational

park, but rather a space with some programming

of activities. HHC is speaking with neighboring

residents for feedback on what they’d like to see and

it’s also using the Ward Village Information Center

and Sales Gallery (former IBM building) courtyard

as a testing ground to get a gauge of what the

community wants to do at the park, running monthly

free film screenings and weekly yoga classes. If it

works, it could be featured at the park.

BACK TO ITS ROOTS

Another feature of the public park will be its use

of native plants. “We’ve made a

commitment in the first section

of the park between the Gateway

towers to try to utilize nearly all

endemic or native plant species,”

says Randle. The Howard Hughes

Corporation wants the park to

be a very natural space, but one

that’s active with seating areas,

walkways and one where people

can visit, sit and have a meal.

Hui Ku Maoli Ola cofounder

Rick Barboza is a landscape

consultant and provides native

plants, but he also educates and

perpetuates the cultivation and

preservation of them. “One of

the main things about utilizing

native plants is that it helps to

reverse the trend that our native

plants are going through,” says

Barboza. He’s referring to the way

native plants have been pushed

out of Hawaii’s ecosystem. “We

want to reverse that trend, and

putting native plants back is one

of the best ways to do that.”

Populating native plants back

to its historic location is also

important to him. He gives an example of the city of

Aiea, named after a plant that you can no longer find

in Aiea. And, in Kakaako, he hopes to see the return

of its native dry forest Hawaiian tree, the kukuluaeo.

“Within Kakaako, there is an ili [or land division]

called Kukuluaeo and it stands for two things: One,

is the endangered Hawaiian stilt that is a bird, and

two, is actually a native tree,” he says. “Why not put

kukuluaeo back in Kukuluaeo?”

Using native Hawaiian plants also makes

geological sense. A lot of land in Kakaako is new

land, built up from dredged coral reef, and it’s heavily

salted. So, while some non-Hawaiian plants may not

survive in these conditions, native plants will, like the

native sedge mauuakiaki.

All of the plants in the park will surround a major

water feature. “We want to restore that feeling of the

flow of water from the mountains to the ocean. And,

we’re blessed that the auwai still flows through that

site today,” says Randle.

Untitled-4 1 11/12/14 10:50 AM19DECEMBER 2014kakaako magazine •


RECONNECTING THE LAND TO

THE OCEAN

A fishpond was once located

where Neal S. Blaisdell Center

now stands at the corner of Ward

Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard.

It was fed by an artesian well,

the water bubbled up into the

fishpond, the overflow was then

channeled into an open stream

that traveled downhill, through

where Ward Warehouse is now

located, before draining into

Kewalo Basin. The auwai, or

ditch, was used for irrigating taro

fields that were cultivated along

its path. In the 1930s, Honolulu’s

agricultural landscape gave way

to urbanization and culverts

were constructed over the

stream so that roads could be

built. Eventually the streams

were entirely covered, and while

the water continued to flow

underground and out to sea, it

served no real purpose and for

the most part, was forgotten,

until now.

Randle has already

discovered a lot about the

underground stream, but

acknowledges that there is still

more to learn. “We know the

water is flowing, but we don’t

know exactly how much there

is and we won’t know how the

stream is going to be uncovered

until the engineers figure it out,”

says Randle.

The Oahu Island Burial

Council is one of the

community organizations

working with HHC for the

redevelopment of the Ward

Warehouse area. Burial Council

Chair Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

says the council is fully in favor

of opening the waterway and

restoring it as much as possible

to its original state. “We always

support whatever will honor

the integrity and dignity of our

heritage,” says Wong-Kalu, “and

in this case the development

honors the re-opening of what

was covered by urbanization. It

brings back a different feel for a

place that once fed the land and

the people, and I commend The

Howard Hughes Corporation

for investing in opening this

waterway that goes beyond the

scope of simply putting up new

buildings.” Designs, permits and

approvals will need to be in place

before ground is broken for

the public park project, but it is

progressing, one step at a time.

Waiea rising.

LIC# ABC 17Ward Village

Untitled-5 1 11/12/14 1:33 PM

community to develop a plan that will transform it

into a gathering place for residents and visitors.

There are currently about 100 commercial

tenants who lease space at the harbor, and most of

its clientele are tourists. Greg Longnecker has five

different businesses that he runs out of the six slips

he owns, which include two parasail companies, a

jet boat, a sport fishing charter and Hawaii Pirate

Ship Adventures. “Most of our clients arrive at our

docks using a shuttle service from Waikiki,” says

Longnecker, “but our Pirate Ship Adventures is

popular with locals as well.” Inadequate parking,

inaccessibility and the run down condition of the

facilities are barriers to expanding businesses at

Kewalo Basin. Longnecker hopes that improvements

to the harbor will mean that, not only more businesses

will open, but the accessibility will help to increase his

businesses as well.

Across the harbor at Kewalo Basin’s park,

community organization Friends of Kewalos wants to

ensure that the park is protected. Ron Iwami, president

of the organization, is concerned about the impact

of 100 more boats in the harbor. Iwami bluntly states

that, “in a perfect world, we would like to have no

development, but we can’t have that, so we will do

what we can to protect our ocean access, including

keeping free parking.” Iwami says he’s been happy

with HHC’s efforts to reach out to Friends of Kewalos

SSTOPPING AT THE RED LIGHT next to Kewalo Basin

Harbor, it may not seem like there’s much going on

amidst the dilapidated buildings and 144 boat slips in

various stages of disrepair. But, new life is about to be

breathed into this long underutilized yet historically

important community resource as renovation and

redevelopment start getting underway.

Kewalo Basin has a long history that began as a

canoe landing for ancient Hawaiians—Kamehameha

the Great even anchored his canoes there. In the

19th century, when Honolulu Harbor was becoming

increasingly congested, mid-sized ships started

anchoring at Kewalo Harbor along with Hawaii’s

first sampan. This gave rise to the harbor’s maritime

culture and commercial fishing industry. A shipyard,

an icehouse and tuna cannery were all built at Kewalo

Basin and helped to support the one-time largest

commercial fishery in Hawaii, until fishing stopped

completely during World War II and, later, the cannery

closed for good in 1984. While the harbor was once

alive with fishermen, it’s known more, today, for its

surf breaks, park and tour operations.

Earlier this year, The Howard Hughes Corporation

(HHC), developers of Ward Village, acquired a 35-year

lease of Kewalo Basin from the Hawaii Community

Development Authority for expansion, including the

addition of 100 boat slips, and improvement to the

harbor. The team has been working with the local


The Future of Kewalo BasinImprovements are being planned to ensure that the harbor is properly maintained and that the public can easily access it in a more sustainable way.

BY LURLINE WAILANA

MCGREGOR



Celebrating 15

Years

of Design Exce

lence!

(808) 591-6616 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 540 www.benwooarchitects.com

Untitled-4 1 11/14/14 11:18 AM

and other community groups and

to listen to their points of view and

work their ideas into its plans.

Race Randle, senior

development director at HHC,

says he’s well aware of the

community’s interests and

concerns. “Our vision is to make

Kewalo Harbor a place that will

connect locals to the ocean in a

sustainable way,” says Randle. “A

sustainable community means

not having to drive too much,

so, for example, if we put lockers

at the beach to store surfboards,

people don’t have to drive their

cars to the beach to surf.”

The four different surf breaks

on the reef fronting Kewalo

Basin—Kewalos, Rennicks,

Straight Out and Marineland—

attract many local surfers,

including professionals Ezekial

Lau and Carissa Moore.

Daniel Ikaika Ito is the surfing

coach at Kamehameha Schools

and trains his students there.

“With four different breaks, the

kids can spread out, and it’s a great

training ground for multiple skill

levels,” says Ito. “The reef is very

alive and the water is clean.” Ito

says he doesn’t surf at Kewalos

very often, though, these days

because there are too many kids

crowding the waves.

While HHC is continuing

to ask the community for input

on how to achieve its goal of a

destination waterfront, Randle

sees that the eclectic mix of

tenants is what makes Kewalo

Basin Harbor special. “They’re all

in one tight space and carrying on

with their different activities. It’s a

beautiful sight.”

¡ Daniel Ikaika Ito is a surf coach who trains his students at the four different surf breaks fronting Kewalo Basin.



mission,” says Striph. He says that while the Ward Village

Foundation focuses on organizations close to the Ward

neighborhood, any Oahu organization is eligible to

apply. To date, the foundation has given $325,000 to

recipient nonprofits that also includes Kupu, Hawaii

Pops, KCAA Preschools, The Hawaii HomeOwnership

Center and others.

Broderick says the foundation grant is not only

keeping the program running, but also expanding its

reach. For four months, middle and high school students

meet each month where they learn how to campaign,

hold state elections and research and draft bills. And, for

the first time, the local YMCA program is able to send a

Hawaii delegation to the YAG Conference on National

Affairs this June in Washington, D.C.

“It’s the best part of my job, giving money out to

people who use it in a great way,” says Striph. “It’s been

really rewarding for the Ward Village team. Our mission

is to create timeless places and memorable experiences

and support nonprofits and organizations that have the

same focus we do.”

For more information, visit wardvillagefoundation.

org and ymcahonolulu.org/social_responsibility/

advocacy/youth_and_government

SSEVERAL MONTHS AGO, Michael Broderick wasn’t sure

how his organization was going to fund one of its

programs, the 60-year-old Youth and Government (YAG)

where students research and role play state government

positions. So the president and CEO of the Honolulu

YMCA turned to the Ward Village Foundation for help.

The charity arm of Ward Village, the Ward Village

Foundation, gave the YMCA program $50,000 over

two years to keep the program afloat. “Thanks to (its)

generous support,” says Broderick, “approximately 80

middle and high school students, regardless of their

ability to pay, will be able to participate.”

The Ward Village Foundation launched in January

2014 to aid programs like the youth civic engagement

program. “The YMCA does great work all over the island,”

says The Howard Hughes Corporation senior vice

president David Striph. “The Ward Village Foundation is

part of our commitment to the community. We’re doing

more than building buildings, we are giving back to the

community in many ways.”

The foundation’s three missions, dubbed “Culture

ForWard, Community ForWard and Environment

ForWard,” support local nonprofits that perpetuate Native

Hawaiian culture, education, health and sustainability.

“We look for organizations that align with our

Building a Community, One Grant at a TimeThe new charitable arm of the Ward Village is giving a helping hand to Oahu nonprofits and the communities they serve.

BY TIFFANY HILL



24 DECEMBER 2014 · KAKAAKO MAGAZINE

REDUCED TRAFFIC CONGESTION

MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

LOWER PRESSURE ON PROPERTY TAXES

Smart development in Honolulu’s urban core means more effi cient transportation, more rural lands saved,

lower energy consumption and improved quality of life for residents islandwide. Learn more at HawaiiMovingAhead.org

Communities built where everything is closer together

mean that many everyday destinations are within walking,

cycling, or mass transit distance. Fewer cars on the road

mean less congestion on our streets and highways.

When housing is developed on under-utilized land,

the City and County’s annual revenue from property

taxes is much higher. This helps pay for government

services, and relieves pressure on low and

middle-income taxpayers islandwide.

When businesses are accessible in pedestrian-oriented

“main street” settings, smaller businesses – restaurants,

shops and service providers – benefi t from improved

visibility and walk-in traffi c.

HMFA-03968-HiBusDec_ThreeReasons.indd 1 11/12/14 5:11 PM

Untitled-2 1 11/13/14 10:07 AM

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