Howard Hughes’ Whole Foods Kakaako condo project starts constructio

August 8, 2016 By

aeo_wholefoodsThe Howard Hughes Corp. officially began construction Thursday on its third mixed-use condominium tower in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, with a groundbreaking ceremony for Aeo, which includes what will be Whole Foods Market’s flagship Hawaii store.

The Texas-based developer already has two other residential towers under construction, Waiea and Anaha, which are located nearby within the 60-acre Ward Village.

“My family is looking forward to calling Ward Village home, that will soon have thousands of families calling this neighborhood home,” said Nick Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for The Howard Hughes Corp.

The 54,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market is expected to open in about two years, possibly the first quarter of 2018, with Aeo opening sometime after that.

Todd Apo, vice president of community development for The Howard Hughes Corp., told PBN that it expects to start demolition of the existing that Office Depot building on the lot toward the end of March. Office Depot is currently moving out of that space.

Demolition will begin with the warehouses in the back of the Office Depot first, with construction fencing coming up around the project in mid-March.

The parking lot of the project is expected to remain open until the end of March.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is partnering with Architects Hawaii Ltd. on the design of the project. Layton Construction is the general contractor.

Bounded by Queen and Kamakee streets, the block is behind the Ward Entertainment Center and also contains the former Nordstrom Rack.

Plans for Aeo also include 12,000 square feet of retail and more than 700 parking spaces in a block-filling podium to be topped with a narrow high-rise offering about 466 residential units.

No development cost was given for the project, which is named after the Aeo stilt bird that once lived the area.

“[The project] is consistent with our mission of honoring the past as we look to build a better future for this community,” Vanderboom said.

In November, the developer said that close to 35 percent of its units in Aeo are under contract.

Howard Hughes also is developing a 43-story, 424-unit mixed-use mostly affordable tower that will include a Longs Drugs ground floor store called Ke Kilohana at 988 Halekauwila at the corner of Ward Avenue and Halekauwila Street.

The project is expected to satisfy the developer’s affordable housing requirement set by state regulators.

Pacific Business News

Filed Under: Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Center, Ward Village, Ward Village Phase Two, Ward Village Shops, Wholefoods at AE'O Tagged With: , ,

Ward Village launches sales for Ke Kilohana

March 25, 2016 By

Ke Kilohana at Ward VillageThe Howard Hughes Corporation (NYSE: HHC) announced Friday that it is launching sales for the reserved housing program in its newest Ward Village project, Ke Kilohana at 988 Halekauwila St.

Applications will be available from Saturday, March 26 until Sunday, April 3, at the Ke Kilohana Sales Gallery in the IBM Building at 1240 Ala Moana Boulevard, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Completed applications must be returned in person between April 8 and April 13. Buyers will be selected in a lottery to be held April 15 via webcast, with home selection beginning on April 16 based on lottery placement and running throughout April.

In a statement, Ward Village explains, “The lottery will simply assign an appointment date, according to the selected order, for the buyer to come in to select his/her home and complete the contracting process. Buyers will be informed of their appointment time via email.”

There are 375 reserved housing residences reserved for qualified buyers in the 43-story, mixed-use condominium high-rise. These include one-bedrooms priced from $323,475 to $442,246, two-bedrooms priced from $473,789 to $538,612, and three-bedrooms priced from $521,774 to $560,774. The tower also includes 49 market-priced residences.

Competition for the reserved housing units may be stiff — Ward Village notes that more than 3,500 people attended informational seminars on Ke Kilohana in over December, January and February.

A. Kam Napier
Editor-in-Chief
Pacific Business News

 

Ke Kilohana at Ward VillageReserved Housing Application packets may be obtained from the Ke Kilohana Sales Gallery starting Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 10:00 a.m, and will be available for pickup through Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Applications will not be available for pickup after Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Prospective purchasers should carefully review the information contained in the Reserved Housing Application packet to determine whether all eligibility requirements are met.

The earliest date that completed Reserved Housing Applications will be accepted is Friday, April 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Reserved Housing Applications will not be accepted prior to this time. Applications must be hand-delivered to the Ke Kilohana Sales Gallery between Friday, April 8, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. to be eligible to participate in the Lottery. Only substantially complete applications will be accepted. Applications delivered by email, facsimile, mail or courier will NOT be accepted.

Completing the application packet will include;
1. Notarized Affidavit of Intent to Purchase and Reside in a Designated Owner-Occupant Reserved Housing Residential Unit;
2. Notarized Affidavit of Eligibility to Purchase a Reserved Housing Unit in the 988 Halekauwila Condominium Project;
3. 988 Halekauwila Registration Agreement – Reserved Housing Owner-Occupant; and
4. Loan Pre-Qualification Letter provided by Honolulu HomeLoans or First Hawaiian Bank.

Inquire About This Project

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Ke Kilohana at Ward Village

Filed Under: 988 Halekauwila, Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Kakaako, Ke Kilohana, Ward Village, Ward Village Phase Two Tagged With: , , ,

Construction set to start on Whole Foods condo tower in Kakaako

February 25, 2016 By

aeo_wholefoodsThe Howard Hughes Corp. plans to start construction on its mixed-use condominium that will include Whole Foods Market’s flagship Hawaii location in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako on Thursday, the Texas-based developer said.

Located at 1001 Queen St., at the corner of Queen and Kamakee streets behind the Ward Entertainment Center, Aeo will include 466 units and a 54,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market store on the ground floor.

The tower and organic supermarket chain will replace Office Depot on the block that used to also house a Nordstrom Rack, which has relocated within Ward Village.

During Halloween, a retailer selling costumes and other items for the late October holiday took the former Nordstrom Rack space, but has since closed.

The Howard Hughes Corp.’s (NYSE: HHC) 60-acre Ward Village includes two mixed-use luxury residential towers — Waiea and Anaha — that are now under construction, as well as Aeo, Gateway Towers and Ke Kilohana at 988 Halekauwila St, which will include a Longs Drugs store.

Duane Shimogawa
Reporter
Pacific Business News

Filed Under: 1001 Queen St, AE'O at 1001 Queen St., Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Center, Ward Village, Ward Village Phase Two, Ward Village Shops, Wholefoods at AE'O Tagged With: ,

Longs Drugs to open Hawaii store in Ward Village’s 988 Halekauwila mixed-use project in Kakaako

November 10, 2015 By

long_ward_villageLongs Drugs will open a new Hawaii location in Ward Village’s 988 Halekauwila mixed-use tower in Kakaako that’s scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 2019, Howard Hughes Corp. executives confirmed to PBN on Tuesday.

“It’s something that has always been on our wish list for quite some time,” Katie Kaanapu, community and retail marketing director for The Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC), told PBN. “It’s in a really central location, so it’s easy for our residents and visitors to access, whether they are coming by rail, or walking or biking to the area.”

As it is currently proposed, the 23,000-square-foot, full-service Longs Drugs store will be located on the ground floor of 988 Halekauwila, which will have 375 one-, two- and three-bedroom reserved affordable housing units.

The store will be located across the street from the future Kakaako Station for Oahu’s elevated-rail mass-transit system.

“Ward Village is committed to making Honolulu a better place for our local community to live, work, shop and play,” Nick Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for The Howard Hughes Corp., said in a statement. “This new Longs Drugs will allow Ward Village residents and other members of the nearby community to comfortably meet their daily needs with greater convenience.”

Though an opening date has not been set, Kaanapu said the entire 988 Halekauwila project is slated to be complete in 2019. Designs for the building are being finalized, she said.

Last week, the Hawaii Community Development Authority gave its approval for the project to proceed with 424 for-sale units, including 375 reserved units. Earlier, it had rejected The Howard Hughes Corp.’s request to turn them into rental units.

Construction also is continuing on the Texas-based developer’s Waiea and Anaha mixed-use towers, which are slated to be finished at the end of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017, respectively.

Meanwhile, condominium sales have begun for The Howard Hughes Corp.’s 466-unit Aeo project, which is scheduled to be complete in 2018.

Darin Moriki
Reporter
Pacific Business News

Filed Under: 988 Halekauwila, Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Village, Ward Village Phase Two, Ward Village Shops Tagged With: , ,

Ward Village Shops retail space to expand by 60 percent

April 8, 2015 By
Red Pineapple boutique owner, Nalani Holliday.

Red Pineapple boutique owner, Nalani Holliday.

As The Howard Hughes Corp. builds high-rise condominiums and rebrands Ward Village, its retail footprint will grow by about 60 percent, according to Ward Village Shops Senior General Manager Bobbie Lau.

Ward Village Shops’ five commercial neighborhoods have more than 135 shops and restaurants, and one out of seven are locally owned businesses.

The developer plans to keep that ratio, Lau says.

“It’s our intention to keep that 70 percent ratio because that’s what makes us unique — the local mix, with some big boxes,” she said, noting that all high-rise condominiums will leave room for retailers on the first floor, sometimes two floors.

Lau said The Howard Hughes Corp. is working with current Ward Warehouse tenants to find future spots for them in the new development.

Nalani Holliday, owner of Ward Centre boutique Red Pineapple, says she believes the changes will be positive for retailers, with extra space and green, shady, family-friendly walkways.

The new mixture of residents, local and foreign shoppers, and businesses will be an asset for Kakaako, she said, including the new flagship 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market store that is scheduled to open in 2017.

“It’s all going to be new and improved,” Holliday said. “I think it will be a great bustling space and with the addition of Whole Foods. It does attract a different person from Ala Moana — someone who is not in a rush — and as a retailer, I’m looking for the customer who wants something unique and different.”

Red Pineapple’s neighbor, Sedona, has been at Ward Centre for more than two decades. Sedona President and co-founder Malia Johnson said that while construction is underway at Ala Moana Shopping Center, she has seen a lot of customers returning and discovering the new shops Kakaako has to offer.

She says some of the appeal is that many of the shops located at Ward and in Kakaako have just one location, including Sedona, Red Pineapple and the University of Hawaii’s Rainbowtique store.

“We really drive the customers here, because we’re very much a destination store,” she said. “I wouldn’t stay here for 25 years if I didn’t really feel like part of the growth and a part of Kakaako.”

To learn more, read this week’s special report on Kakaako in the Friday print edition.

Lorin Eleni Gill Reporter – Pacific Business News

Filed Under: Featured, Ward Center, Ward Village, Ward Village Phase Two, Ward Village Shops Tagged With: , ,

Looking Forward February – Gateway Approved

February 15, 2015 By

Ward003Dreams are merely plans, blueprints, aspirations until that moment when they receive validation. Even the best-made plans can be waylaid by things large and small. But on November 25, 2014 Ward Village got the confirmation that its second-phase plans for its state-of-the-art master-planned neighborhood will become a reality. On this day, the Gateway proposal, which will feature 236 residences and 200,000 square feet of retail in two mixed-use towers abutting a one-acre green space stretching to Kewalo Basin Harbor, was approved by the Hawaii Community Development Authority.

Designed by Richard Meier & Partners, an architecture firm that excels in everything from single-family homes along the ocean to landmark civic spaces such as the Getty Center in Los Angeles, Gateway is bringing a whole new level of architecture to the South Shore of Oahu in collaboration with executive architect, Architects Hawaii, and a team of local consultants. One tower will jut like a blade into the skyline; its partner, a shimmering cylindrical building, will reflect the location’s transition from the downtown grid to Waikiki. Between the two, a green space will flow with water, walkways, and native plants, acting as a gathering place for the community. Together, Gateway—which will feature a variety of residences, from two-story villas to sprawling penthouses—will be the welcoming point and landmark of Ward Village.

Also part of this second phase approved by HCDA is a flagship 50,000 square-foot Whole Foods and additional retail space. Phase two will bring significant economic growth, green space, and amenities to the community that works, plays, and soon lives in Ward Village.When partygoers weren’t spellbound by artists, musicians, and hula dancers, or wrapped up in conversation, they hit the buffet. Guests dined on a sumptuous array of island favorites, including a poke and oyster bar from Oahu’s Poke Stop; cuisine inspired by traditional luau fare from Hale Aina Catering; and delicate tropical desserts from MW Restaurant.

The day, from bright and early at 8 a.m. until the sun set and the last of the event-goers headed home, was a true celebration of the story of Anaha, and the traditions that shape our unique island home.

Ward002

Filed Under: Featured, HCDA, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Village Phase Two Tagged With: , ,

Looking Forward February – Block M Approved

February 13, 2015 By

Ward001Ward Village received approval February 5, 2014 from the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority for its fifth mixed-use project, the second residential and commercial development in Phase Two of the Ward Village Master Plan. Located at the ‘ewa-makai corner of Queen Street and Kamake‘e Street, the building will include a highly-anticipated grocery store, new retail space and homes for local residents.

The development will feature a 50,000 square-foot flagship Whole Foods Market that will serve both residents of Ward Village and the entire area as the specialty grocer’s largest store in Hawai‘i. The project will also include approximately 12,000 square-feet of additional retail space, district-wide parking and a tower with approximately 466 total residences.

Phase Two will further enhance the transformation of Ward Village into an environmentally sustainable, pedestrian-friendly community in the heart of Honolulu. As Hawai‘i’s only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Platinum-Certified project and the largest neighborhood development in the country to receive the prestigious certification, the core values of Ward Village and Whole Foods Market are well-aligned.

The approved project will be designed by internationally recognized architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in collaboration with executive architect, Architects Hawai‘i, and a team of local consultants. The design will include indoor/outdoor seating at Whole Foods Market and be influenced by healthy, dynamic and nourishing natural elements. In addition, Halekauwila Street will become a truly walkable thoroughfare.

The long term vision of the Ward Village Master Plan strives to create a world-class neighborhood that celebrates the land’s rich history and authentically reflecting the spirit of Hawai‘i. Ward Village will offer a carefully curated selection of local and national retailers, beautiful open spaces and a range of residences, encouraging a walkable and sustainable lifestyle within the 60-acre community.

Ward002

Filed Under: Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Village Phase Two Tagged With: , ,