Nov 27, 2013, 12:45pm HST
Duane Shimogawa Reporter | Pacific Business News
The Howard Hughes Corp.’s plan to turn 60 acres in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako into Ward Village, a 4,000-unit mixed-use community encompassing more than 1 million square feet of retail and other commercial space is now one of the nation’s largest green-building projects, the Texas-based developer said Wednesday.
Ward Village has received LEED Neighborhood Development Platinum certification, making it the only project to garner this honor in Hawaii.
The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is a program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
“We are extremely honored to receive LEED-ND Platinum certification, confirming that Ward Village will arguably be the most sustainable community in the country,” Nick Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC) said in a statement. “We are committed to creating a one-of-a-kind, integrated neighborhood in the heart of Honolulu based on thoughtful planning and design that will feature exceptional residences and unique retail offerings set among dynamic public open spaces and walkable streets.”
The certification was awarded to Ward Village based on achievement of the very highest standards of sustainable neighborhood design, such as pedestrian orientation and design; efficient land use in a location served by transit, water and energy efficiency, recycling and reuse of materials, indoor environmental quality, as well as parking and transportation programs that include vehicle and bicycle sharing, the developer said.
The first phase of the Ward Village project was approved this past summer with construction expected to begin in 2014.