Hawaii Construction Boom: New Developments Coming to Honolulu, North Shore, Central, West and Windward Oahu

New developments are changing the face of Honolulu—find out what’s coming.

By David Thompson

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Construction cranes rise across urban Honolulu, shifting the skyline and promising change. For those ready to move into these developments, the residential housing boom offers new places to live. For neighbors and others concerned about the pace of growth, some projects face resistance.

Photos: Courtesy of HCDA and the respective development companies.



With interest rates low, demand for housing red hot and the wreckage of 2007’s burst housing bubble fading in the rearview mirror, the city has embarked on a serious residential growth spurt. Nobody knows how long it will last, but for now, it’s full steam ahead.



Across the island, housing developments large and small are moving forward, from a posh, 38-story condo above Waikiki’s Luxury Row, to a six-building low-rise in downtown Kailua, to an 11,750-home mini-city on the Ewa Plain. And then there’s Kakaako, where more than 30 condominium buildings are planned or taking shape. All those glass towers slated for Kakaako have brought community backlash and rumblings in the Legislature about reining in the state’s planning authority over the area (see our sidebar on the HCDA). It’s also brought home to roost the highest concentration of cranes in Hawaii.



What follows is not a comprehensive look at every housing development that’s underway or in the pipeline, but rather a sampler platter of two-dozen high-profile projects. Whether you’re in the housing market or simply concerned about the changing shape of your neighborhood, this should give you a handle on what’s coming our way, in Town (1), the West Side (2), and in the Country (3).



1. GOING UP IN TOWN

From Waikiki to Aiea, dozens of new glass towers will transform the face of the city—most dramatically in Kakaako.



Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach. ONE Ala Moana.



ALA MOANA

ONE Ala Moana

Home at the mall

This swanky new condominium could literally not be closer to Ala Moana Center. That’s because it’s being built at Ala Moana Center, or, more precisely, on top of the Nordstrom parking garage. Design-wise, the building is actually two towers wrapped in one glass skin, each with its own lobby and elevators. All 205 units sold out within two days of hitting the market. Clearly, there are people out there who love Ala Moana so much they never want to leave. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Ala Moana Center is primed for another new luxury condo like this one on the other side of the mall, but details are sketchy. The Super Friends team behind ONE Ala Moana is HHMK Development, a partnership of The Howard Hughes Corp., The MacNaughton Group and the Kobayashi Group.



1555 Kapiolani Blvd., $500K–$1.2M, 23 stories, 2014

WAIKIKI

Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach

Luxury Row goes vertical

Rising above Luxury Row, and obstructing the ocean view of its neighbors, this controversial new addition to Waikiki is the first of two towers developer Pacrep LLC plans for the block (the other is a proposed 39-story condo/hotel). A full-service spa, two swimming pools, a sushi restaurant and the first Dean & DeLuca gourmet market in Hawaii will be among the amenities here. Foreign investors have already snapped up many of the 309 units. Residents of the neighboring Four Paddle high-rise complained that the tower’s view-blocking alignment violates the guidelines of Waikiki’s Special Design District. It turns out guidelines are just that—guidelines, not mandates.



2121 Kuhio Ave., $900K–$15M, 37 stories, 2016