The Howard Hughes Corp. plans to present its plans in November for a new mixed-use condominium high-rise in Kakaako at the former spot of Hawaii’s first Nordstrom Rack store, which will include a planned Whole Foods Market as part of the project.
The project, which will be located at 330 Kamakee St. and is part of the Texas-based developer’s Ward Village Master Plan, includes about 466 units in the tower, which will be built on a platform structure, according to the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency that oversees the redevelopment of the Honolulu neighborhood.
“The first phase of the Ward Village Master Plan has brought significant economic growth and increased community amenities to the neighborhood,” said David Striph, senior vice president for Hawaii for The Howard Hughes Corp. “As we move forward with the early planning stages for phase two, we have submitted an application to the Hawaii Community Development Authority for a sustainably-designed mixed-use project at 330 Kamakee Street.”
The project will have a combined total of 78,319 square feet of commercial space, 53,375 square feet of indoor and outdoor recreation space and 1,301 parking stalls.
The Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHS), which is currently developing two other condo towers nearby, is asking for five modifications for its project, including one to adjust the tower view corridor setback along Queen Street and increase the maximum platform height to 75 feet, with an allowance of an additional 12 feet in height for 15 percent of the roof area that will be utilized for accessory uses.
“Our application includes a modification to rotate the project in order to preserve mauka to makai view planes in response to community input,” Striph said. “In addition to a flagship grocery store, phase two will include well-maintained public open spaces, complete streets and significant improvements to the neighborhood.”
The new Honolulu Whole Foods Market store will be located in the space currently occupied by an Office Depot and the former Nordstrom Rack behind the Ward Theatres complex. The 50,000-square-foot store, which will be the company’s largest location in the state, is slated to begin construction next year and be completed in 2017.
Last year, The Howard Hughes Corp. began the transformation of Ward Centers into Ward Village, an urban master-planned community that will include approximately 4,000 residential units and more than 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space.
The 330 Kamakee project’s presentation hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5 at noon in Honolulu at 461 Cooke St.
There are two more hearings scheduled for the project, another on Nov. 6, which will be a modification hearing, and another on Jan. 7, 2015, which will be a decision-making hearing.
The Jan. 7 hearing will be located at a different venue from the presentation and modification hearings with it being held in Honolulu at 545 Queen St. on the second floor.
Duane Shimogawa Reporter – Pacific Business News