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: , ,

Howard Hughes plans more retail space below Ward Village’s T.J. Maxx

August 8, 2016 By

tj-maxxward-750xx600-338-0-31The Howard Hughes Corp. has begun work on a space below T.J. Maxx at Ward Village in Honolulu for planned retail tenants, a spokeswoman for the Texas developer confirmed to PBN.

Howard Hughes was issued a $2.5 million building permit last week for a “Village Market” project at Suite No. 100 at 1170 Auahi St., according to public records from the City and County of Department of Planning and Permitting.

A spokeswoman for Howard Hughes told PBN that it is not a supermarket/grocery store, but that the developer is doing some work on the space beneath T.J. Maxx, which will eventually be a space for more retail tenants.

The actual name of the space is still to be determined and no timeframe for the development has been set just yet.

In addition to T.J. Maxx, the Ward Village Shops, at the corner of Kamakee and Auahi Streets, includes Nordstrom Rack, Pier 1 Imports and CorePower Yoga.

Honolulu-based Gateside Inc. is listed as the general contractor for the Ward Village Shops project.

Pacific Business News

Filed Under: Featured, Howard Hughes Corp, Ward Center, Ward Village, Ward Village Shops

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: ,

Ward Village® Welcomes World Renowned Japanese Restaurant Nobu Honolulu

December 17, 2015 By

nobuChef Nobu Matsuhisa to Open Flagship Honolulu Restaurant in 2016

Today, Ward Village announced plans to welcome world renowned restauranteur Nobu Matsuhisa to the neighborhood. In late 2016, Nobu will move from Waikiki to a dramatic new space at the base of Waiea, Ward Village’s first flagship residential building.

“At Ward Village, we are curating an unmatched mix of design, retail and food experiences with Nobu serving as a culinary anchor for our community,” said David R. Weinreb, Chief Executive Officer of The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Nobu’s decision to move from Waikiki to Ward Village is significant as it moves us closer to our long term goal of becoming the new center of Honolulu.”

Nobu Honolulu will join an array of new restaurants and stores coming to Ward Village, including Merriman’s and Whole Foods Market, while offering its spin on contemporary Japanese cuisine with locally sourced fish and produce. The chefs will also showcase Nobu’s signature dishes such as Yellowtail Jalapeno, New Style Sashimi and Black Cod Miso.

“Ward Village is creating a new community in the heart of Honolulu that is unlike anything that exists in Hawaii,” said Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. “The combination of world class architecture, a walkable neighborhood and an authentic district of high quality shops, restaurants and entertainment offerings makes Ward Village a unique destination and the place to be in Honolulu.”

Filed Under: Featured, Kakaako Business & Retail, Waiea Tower, Ward Village 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: , ,

Honolulu’s Eat The Street to move to Kakaako Gateway Park

April 6, 2015 By

honolulueat-teh-streetfried-musubi-600xx528-352-36-0After nearly five years at its South Street spot, Hawaii’s monthly food truck tasting event Eat The Street is moving three blocks away to Kakaako Gateway Park.

Stanford Carr’s Keauhou Place condominium project at the 555 South St. location will soon begin construction.

Street Grindz Owner and CEO Poni Askew said the new location has the same amenities, including free parking, and the bonus of grass seating. Kakaako Gateway Park borders Ala Moana Boulevard and Cooke Street.

“We didn’t want to interrupt our attendees’ normal way of doing things,” she told PBN. “We thought it would be really cool to have a park setting with green grass than the asphalt. We’re really fortunate to work with the Hawaii Community Development Authority and they’re excited to host us over there.”

Eat The Street: Japan will be held on South Street for the last time on March 27 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Each event is held the last Friday of the month, and hosts about 40 food vendors. More than 7,000 people attend each month.

Since its inception, Eat the Street has held 51 events, with approximately 418,200 attendees spending more than $15 million on local businesses.

Lorin Eleni Gill Reporter – Pacific Business News

Filed Under: Featured, Kakaako, Kakaako Neighborhood, Ward Village Tagged With: ,

Moving ForWard March Newsletter

March 11, 2015 By

988HalekuwilaToday Howard Hughes Corp announced our revised plans for the 988 Halekauwila project that, if approved by the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority (HCDA), would provide more affordable rentals to residents in urban Honolulu. The Howard Hughes Corporation submitted a motion to the HCDA for the option to allow the previously approved for-sale residences at 988 Halekauwila to be built as workforce rentals. If approved, Ward Village will be able to offer homes to a significant number of local families and individuals earning 80 to 100 percent of the area median income (AMI). The building would be Honolulu’s largest affordable rental development in decades.

“Ward Village is master-planned to provide quality homes for owners and renters at different income levels,” said David Striph, senior vice president of Hawai‘i for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “We want local individuals and families who live and work in the area to find their future home at Ward Village and are requesting this change to help fulfill the need for workforce housing in Honolulu, offering more local residents the opportunity to live in a master-planned neighborhood complete with community amenities.”

The 988 Halekauwila project is currently approved as for-sale and would be reserved for residents making 100 to 140 percent of the AMI. Rental units, which are available to those with lower average median incomes making 80 to 100 percent of the AMI, help meet the community’s need for long-term affordable housing. For a single person, 80 to 100 percent of AMI equates to an annual salary of $53,700 to $57,820. This offers greater affordability than the for-sale option for individuals making up to 140 percent of AMI, which equates to an annual salary of $80,948. The change to offer units as rental will not change the number of reserved housing units – 375 – offered by the project. It will also extend the period of affordability required for the units from two to five years (for-sale) to 15 years (for-rental).

“The addition of affordable rentals for our local community is a positive step in the right direction,” said Rev. Bob Nakata, Co-Chair of the Housing Task Force for Faith Action for Community Equity. “This request is a positive sign that developers and the HCDA are beginning to pay attention to and working to build what the community needs.”

Ward Village’s 988 Halekauwila project exceeds the number of units required by the HCDA for Phase One of the Ward Village Master Plan by three times the amount. Located on the mauka-ewa corner of Ward Avenue and Halekauwila Street, 988 Halekauwila is an integral component of the Ward Village Master Plan and will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom workforce housing residences within walking distance of shopping, entertainment, parks, beaches and the revitalized Kewalo Harbor. The building will target LEED certification as part of Ward Village, which is certified as the state’s only LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Platinum-Certified community.

Ward Village will offer a four acre privately-maintained public park, complete streets with wide, shaded, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and bike lanes and is in close proximity to existing bus lines and the future Ward Village rail station. Retail located on the ground floor of the building will provide convenient shopping options for the residents

Moving ForWard March Newsletter

http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7a647eabb433c20dfbade3136&id=b114fc2b4c&e=f26031cf9d

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

The Howard Hughes Corp. advances Kakaako rental project

February 25, 2015 By
This rendering shows The Howard Hughes Corp.'s planned rental project at 988 Halekauwila, part of the developer's 60-acre Ward Village master-planned community.

This rendering shows The Howard Hughes Corp.’s planned rental project at 988 Halekauwila, part of the developer’s 60-acre Ward Village master-planned community.

The Howard Hughes Corp. has officially requested the ability to proceed with its previously approved residential project at 988 Halekauwila across from Sports Authority in Honolulu as a rental development, a senior vice president for the Texas-based developer confirmed to PBN.

“By offering rental units, we will be able to better meet the need for affordable housing by reaching significantly more people at lower average median incomes,” Nick Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for The Howard Hughes Corp.’s Ward Village, told PBN in an email. “Approval of this request would extend the length of regulations keeping the units affordable to 15 years at 80 percent to 100 percent of median income compared to for-sale units that would only remain affordable for two to five years at 100 percent to 140 percent of median income.”

For a single person, the Honolulu area median income at 80 percent is $46,256, while it’s $57,820 at 100 percent and $80,948 at 140 percent, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Vanderboom said that if this change happens, it will in no way impact the number of reserved housing units — 375 — provided at 988 Halekauwila, which represents three time the number of units required for phase one of Ward Village.

“This project also fulfills the reserved housing requirements for future phases of Ward Village in response to the demand for affordable homes in Honolulu,” he said. “Ward Village is dedicated to providing a range of housing in our community for local residents.”

The Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency overseeing the redevelopment of Kakaako, has not set a meeting date on the project, a spokeswoman for The Howard Hughes Corp. told PBN.

The project, which will be located on what is the former site of the Kanpai Bar & Grill and the current California Rock ‘N Sushi, is part of the developer’s first phase of its 60-acre Ward Village master plan.

Duane Shimogawa Reporter – Pacific Business News

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