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Catch up on what’s happening in Kaka’ako. View our latest monthly newsletter here.
Historic Ala Moana Pumping Station
KIA General Membership Meeting
KIA Director Kelton Kato (J. Kadowaki, Inc.) was a welcomed replacement for KIA’s President Michael Libertini as the MC for the KIA General Membership Meeting held on Wednesday, August 28th at Dave and Buster’s. The entire meeting can be watched on this page.
The first speaker was Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region which includes Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. She distributed a “Be Red Cross Ready” brochure that focused on (1) getting a disaster emergency kit ready with 14 days of supplies at home to shelter in place or in a compact portable container to take to a shelter; (2) making a plan for your household including meeting places in case you are separated and preparing for emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, work or play; and (3) being informed through local media and how to prepare using the Red Cross Emergency App or redcross.org.
Stanford Carr Development has developed over 5,000 homes and is responsible for some of the most recognizable residential communities in Hawaii. Stanford Carr had a great Powerpoint presentation on his projects in Kakaako, representing the past, present and future. The information was well received by those in attendance who learned about Halekauwila Place, Keauhou Place, Hale Kewalo, and three high rises from the Hawaii Housing and Finance Development Corp - Pohulani Elderly, Kauhale Kakaako, and Kamakee Vista. Stanford Carr Development will be managing those three properties as affordable units for the next 75 years. They are currently designing another mixed use, transit orient development project to be a combination of everything they built in the past; i.e. tax credit rental apartments, workforce rentals, entry level and moderate for sale condominiums with ground floor commercial amenities, including an urban park.
Senator Sharon Moriwaki represents Kakaako, Ala Moana, Sheridan, McCully-Moiliili and Waikiki and is a member of the Senate Ways & Means, Housing, and Technology Committees. She is also co-chair of the Legislative Kupuna Caucus. Before being elected, she was a faculty member of the University of Hawaii. Living in Kakaako, she and her neighbors advocated for Kakaako development achieving the envisioned mixed-use, mixed-density quality community—where people with all ranges of income would live close to their work downtown or in Waikiki. That vision of Kakaako was to be built with the oversight of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA). Senator Moriwaki said that housing is a critical, major problem for our state; we are losing young people and others who are moving to the Mainland because of the lack of good jobs and affordable housing. She said that seniors also need to be housed and some developments for the elders are being developed in Kakaako. The Legislature passed a number of bills and appropriation for rental housing, housing infrastructure, and supplemental rent subsidies to help low income residents. A recent law, called the Community Assisted Treatment, was passed to assist homeless with severe mental illness; they can now be treated. To address the homeless problem of the Children’s Discovery Center in Kakaako Waterfront Park, a resolution was passed and has resulted in a task force of law enforcement (HPD and Sheriff) and city, state and non-profit service agencies coming together to address the problem – finding solutions that work to move houseless into shelters or more permanent housing and to provide them with needed services. As the senator from Kakaako, she said she is available to everyone. She can be reached at 586-6740 or email at senmoriwaki@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also follow her at sharonmoriwaki.com.
KIA New Members
Ocean Blue Hawaii LLC
Michael Libertini
1288 Ala Moana Blvd, #104
Honolulu, HI 96814
P (808) 537-4049
E michael@oceanbluehawaii.com
Secure Parking
Stephen Kozlowski
914 Ala Moana Blvd, Floor 2
Honolulu, HI 96814
P (808) 330-1922
F (808) 465-1422
E s.kozlowski@secureparkinghi.com
KIA New Members
The KIA Board would like to welcome Gary Evora as a new Director. He is Kamehameha School’s Senior Asset Manager for several properties in Kakaako, Windward, and Downtown. Prior to KSBE, Gary was the Senior Vice President of Colliers and was with Bishop Square management. He is a St. Louis graduate, married with two boys, a Punahou senior and a junior at UH.
KIA Networking Event
The second and last KIA Networking Event for 2019 will be held on Wednesday, October 31st from 11:30am in the conference room of Restaurant Row, 500 Ala Moana Blvd, next to Opal Fields and around the corner from The Row Bar. This is a "bring-you-own-lunch" event, so there is no charge to KIA or its members, thanks to KIA Board member, Steve Sullivan of Parallel Capital Partners. To be sure there are enough chairs for everyone, please RSVP to Sherry Goya, KIA Executive Director at sgoyallc@aol.com with name of company and attendees. Bring business cards, brochures, flyers, etc. to distribute to all in attendance. Sherry will email the count of attendees to everyone who RSVPed so enough handouts will be available.
KIA Fundraiser
The Tuesday, September 24th KIA Fundraiser will be FUN, with beer, wine, pupu and YOU at the REAL gastropub (503 Keawe Street) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Click here for the registration form with all the information. This will be a great opportunity to meet KIA members, bring family or friends, and enjoy the food, drinks and atmosphere. Enter the parking lot from Pohukaina or Keahou streets for very reasonable fees (1 hour FREE, less than 2 hours, just $1, and $3 for less than 3 hours).
KIA Rail Update
Advanced utility relocation work continues in Ala Moana and Kakaako areas. HART’s contractors NAN Inc. and Royal Contracting are relocating utilities along the rail route to make way for the guideway, columns and stations that will be built through a separate City Center P-3, public/private partnership contract that will be awarded next year.
Both “wet” and “dry” utilities including drainage, sewer, water, electrical and communication facilities are being relocated for the City Center segment which spans from Middle Street to Ala Moana Center. The City Center guideway and stations construction is planned for completion in 2025 for full revenue passenger service from Kapolei to Ala Moana.
For more information, please visit the HART website at www.honolulutransit.org, you can call the project hotline at 566-2299 or email a question to info@honolulutransit.org.
Moon Over Kakaako
Photo taken by Jerris Hedges, Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine
