State seeks
developers for 5
Kakaako parcels

The HCDA wants projects
to start by the year 2000

By Jerry Tune
Star-Bulletin

The state wants to know what developers could do with five parcels of Kakaako land, makai of Ala Moana.

The Hawaii Community Development Authority yesterday said it would put out a request for proposals and a request for qualifications in July for developers interested in five parcels makai of Ala Moana, with a potential construction of 1.34 million square feet. The separate parcels are on 18 acres of state land.

A short list of developers then would be chosen in October, the project decisions made by April 1999, with construction starting in the year 2000, according to the HCDA, the state agency that oversees Kakaako development.

The five sites are in an area between Ala Moana, Ohe Street, Olomehani Street, and the ocean frontage at Kewalo basin.

Restaurants, retail and office buildings were all mentioned as possibilities for the properties at the HCDA meeting.

One of the five parcels is encumbered by a long-term lease, to Honolulu Marine Inc. for shipbuilding, through 2021. The United Fishing Agency also has a lease for its fish-auction site, but it ends in 2000. And the key parcel, for Fisherman's Wharf restaurant, is on a month-to-month lease to Nittaku Investment.

The HCDA said that parcel might be the most logical place to start development with a restaurant or retail project, and possibly a parking structure across Ahui Street with 800 stalls.

But the authority board members said they want to be flexible and give developers the option to make decisions on parking and what is developed first.

The Fisherman's Wharf site, plus some adjoining land, is 6.2 acres and could support a maximum of 305,000 square feet of building space.

The HCDA staff wanted the parking to be located on part of this site, to get cars away from the waterfront. Another staff suggestion was to have buildings on the waterfront separated to create view corridors to the ocean and Diamond Head.

Part of the 18 acres is being used by the City and County Public Works Department but Earl Anzai, state budget director and an HCDA board member, said the city should be off of this land before any developer would be ready to start construction.