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Historic Ala Moana Pumping Station
KIA General Membership Meeting
The first KIA General Membership Meeting was held on Wednesday, January 20th from 11:30am via Zoom. The meeting ran very smooth with the Zoom assistance of past-president Michael Libertini and president Kelton Kato. The first guest was Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who was very interested in being a part of this meeting, mainly so that he could listen and learn from the other speakers.
Doug Johnstone, President of Howard Hughes Corporation’s Hawaii region, said that what is being put in place today has been in the works for decades by Victoria Ward Limited, a kamaaina institution for almost 100 years. The history of the lands in Kakaako includes light industrial, a fragment of retail and the theater, which is indicative of how Honolulu grew up in the last century or so. In 2009, the Ward Village Master Plan was created and about half has been approved in time, with today’s two significant construction sites at Aalii and Kaula next to the theater, then Victorian Place will be kicking off in the coming months. In Kakaako, they have about half a million square feet of existing commercial tenants, with 150,000 square feet light industrial and office space within their portfolio, particularly on the Ewa side of Ward Avenue. 1,400 homes have been completed, with 375 reserved housing, and 1,317 homes under construction. Howard Hughes has a commitment to the community, to include giving back to Hawaii through philanthropic giving, volunteerism and cultural engagement. Although 60 acres are within their area, they look outside the boundaries and acknowledge that these projects coming online represent the connectivity of what is happening beyond their boundaries. Doug went over the Ulana Ward Village, which is their reserve housing of 700 units on the Ewa side of the master plan. See the entire presentation at www.kia-hawaii.org/n022021.html.
A presentation from Kamehameha Schools was made by Serge Krivatsy and Walter Thoemmes, which started with the recognition of Howard Hughes Corporation for working together in the development of Kakaako and fulfilling the vision of the community. Many KIA members know that KS was founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop who set up a trust for education and it remains the answer today. She also left behind a significant amount of land holdings. In 2015, Kamehameha Schools began thinking of what the future should be like and landed on a new vision called the 2040 vision - in a generation of 25 years, they want learners to achieve post secondary success, be grounded in Christian and Hawaiian values and become leaders, locally and globally, who contribute to their communities. The legacy of land that was left behind has become the $12 billion endowment, one of the larger private endowments in the country. They are the largest private land owner in Hawaii, with 363,000 acres of land. 51% of that acreage is in conservations and 48% in agriculture, and 
1% being commercial, with a very diverse portfolio. Kakaako’s master plan, with a 2009 vision statement for our Kakaako, was to create an aggressive 21st century living community, acting as a catalyst for innovation and nurturing the evolution of a vibrant urban island culture within a beautiful healthy and sustainable neighborhood. They have 51 acres in Kakaako, approximately 29 acres mauka of Ala Moana Blvd, master plan, and 10.8 acts of other mauka lands that are generally under long-term leases and 12 acres of makai lands. The current projects were discussed in detail and the general membership meeting can be found at www.kia-hawaii.org/n022021.html.
Judge Rules on Kakaako Roads
It was reported in the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, February 3rd, that Judge Jeffrey Crabtree ruled that the state owns the disputed Kakaako streets after seven years where business owners sued two brothers who began charging for parking and towing unauthorized parked cars along several streets in 2010 after decades of free public use. The article said, "The judge's order also followed a settlement in 2019 between the business owners and the brothers doing business as Kakaako Land Co., under which business owner claims against Kakaako Land were dismissed." Although the companies bowed out, the state pressed on with a challenge to the ownership position of Kakaako Land, led by Calvert and Cedrick Chun. The final ruling was that the Chuns hold no right, title, or legal interest in the streets, and have never had any legal right to charge parking fees, restricted parking or tow vehicles for using or parking on the streets.
