Waikiki-area high-rise meets little resistance
COURTESY ARCHITECTS HAWAII LIMITED
Developers are seeking permits for the Manaolana Place Hotel and Residential Condominium, a high-rise planned to be built across Atkinson Drive from the Hawai‘i Convention Center. The building would be about a half-mile from the future Ala Moana Center transit station.
The Manaolana Place Hotel and Residential Condominium Project, a 400-foot-high mixed-use tower planned for a corner across Atkinson Drive from the Hawai‘i Convention Center, is moving through the permitting process.
But there’s still time for the public to comment on Manaolana Partners LLC’s plans to replace a run-down low-rise section at the gateway of Waikiki with a tower that includes 109 condominium units and 125 hotel units.
The height allowance in the neighborhood is 350 feet, but Manaolana Partners has requested an additional 50 feet for its project, which also includes park areas, a ballroom, a pool and spa, and shops. There also will be 276 parking spaces, a publicly accessible corner plaza, and other ground-level pedestrian and right-of-way improvements.
Planned on land owned by Manaolana Partners LLC and Kajima Kagaku USA Inc., the development encompasses storefront lots on Kapiolani Boulevard, Atkinson Drive, and Kona Street. Right now, the site is home to a vacant lot and single-level shopping center that includes 7-Eleven, Supercuts and Subway.
The project is within the BMX-3 Community Business Mixed Use District about a half-mile from the future Ala Moana Center transit station, so the developers have applied for an interim planned development transit and special district permit. As part of the planned development process, they have offered about $1 million in affordable housing community benefits to offset modifications to setback, height and density allowances.
A project hearing was held Friday, with little opposition save for a neighborhood resident who wanted assurance that the infrastructure could handle the additional sewer demand, said Paul Migliorato, a research analyst for the Pacific Resource Partnership. “This was one of the least-contentious hearings that I’ve attended, he said.
The Pacific Resource Partnership has yet to take a position on the project, but Migliorato said residents and the Waikiki Improvement Association supported the project’s potential to gentrify and clean up their neighborhood.
Developers could not be reached for comment, but have said that they expect the project will serve as a “catalyst for Ala Moana development,” and will provide jobs and other community benefits.
“I support this one,” said Waikiki Neighborhood Board member Jeff Merz, an urban planner. “It intensifies the use, cleans up the corner and provides housing as well. It does make the entrance to Waikiki better.”
However, Merz said the board did not take a position on the project because it is not in the Waikiki Special District.
Linda Wong, vice chairwoman of the Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St. Louis Neighborhood Board, said her group has not taken a position on the project either, but she’s against the height exemption.
“I really dislike new buildings in that area as they block blue skies seen usually coming into the Waikiki area,” Wong said. “We need to build out, not up. Urban sprawl is a farce used to keep us like mice in condo cages. Give us some breathing room.”
The city Department of Planning and Permitting has until July 5 to make a recommendation on the permits to the City Council. The public may submit written comments to the department through June 13. Comments may be faxed to the department at 768-6743 or mailed to 650 S. King St., 7th Floor, Honolulu HI, 96813.
The public won’t have an opportunity to comment in person until sometime after July 5 when the project is put on the agenda for the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee.
26 responses to “Waikiki-area high-rise meets little resistance”
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A very high density area, with ever growing housing needs.
I have seen worse projects than this one
There have never been so many tower cranes on the horizon of Waikiki. All of them full of toilets that have no where to dump their sewage. All full of garages that have no place to take their cars. Meanwhile, Caldwell gets wealthier and wealthier.
That area is definitely rundown–anything would be an improvement.
Over and over -Next one taller and then next one taller and taller. End this buying off of Laws. The public is getting Skwered. Obey the height limit laws that thousands worked for years to get passed.
That’s right! All these developers know the laws and restrictions yet the all go over it and ask for exemptions – WHY? Why do they need an additional 50 feet for this one? Stay within the limits – many others before them did and now are getting buried between these mega towers!
Maybe folks around Waikiki have just given up, with their councilmember Ozawa rubberstamping buildings 110 feet over the height limit and the DPP allowing anything and everything. I moved out of Waikiki last year in disgust myself.
Wong said. “We need to build out, not up.” Keep the country concrete.
I’m wondering if she means what I think she means, which wouldn’t make sense at all for a densely populated island like Oahu with limited land. In fact it should be just the opposite. Build up, not out. Sure, ideally we wouldn’t have to keep building but there’s a need for housing so you have to build somewhere.
Technically, this monster isn’t in Waikiki…….right?
Correct, but (according to Wong) there are blue skys that need protecting accross the canal.Wong prefers urban sprawal as an answer to protecting ” blue skies seen usually coming into the Waikiki area”. Be careful though and enter Waikiki at your own risk or you might feel like a mouse in a condo cage.
She wants to protect her view planes from her neighborhood. I think its a wonderful project and we should continue to build up.
Stay within the height limits. We have rules and they were not made just so some counsel members can get greased to make them go away.
Most locals donʻt even care about Waikiki anymore and try stay away from Waikiki, all jam up. Keep it in Waikiki and leave the rest of the island and islands alone.
Gonna include plenny affordable units, yeah? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
Gotta read Kanji to understand the sales brochures, I bet.
Mandarin….
I guess we’ll never have a water shortage, either.
That’s because the Government decision-makers aren’t listening to the public, only the developers.
The sewage problem in that area is nothing to sneeze at…that stretch of road from Kapiolani to Ala Moana Boulevard smells like raw sewage ALL THE TIME. I know we keep hearing how these developers will help alleviate all kinds of negative situations, for example spending a few million on their own landscaping to quell the voices against non-regulation windows…but this sewage problem is BAD. As for all of the talk about developing the area near a rail transit terminus…let us get real for a second. The rail will never reach Ala Moana Center. But the developers and the city are allowing all kinds of variances for construction in the surrounding area under that guise.
Build this tower to 750 feet so the C & C can get more taxes and not from home owners?
I remember the old TROPICS restaurant that used to be there and it was a lovely rest. and wish there could be another rest. with the same amenities and landscape as it once was that would really beautify the area instead of this concrete CRAP!!!! HOUSING!! HOUSING!! Stop using that as an excuse……its MONEY!! MONEY!! that’s whats moving the developers forward in developing every inch of land on this rock……..
Little resistance? Ha! We resist however we cannot compete with developers money when it comes to variances. YMCA is a great example of it!
Little resistance #2: So let’s have your email address and see just how much resistance you get. People are busy and that is an effective way for commnicating… for the rest of the real world. Fax? ha, ha…
Little resistance #2: So let’s have your email address and see just how much resistance you get. People are busy and that is an effective way for communicating… for the rest of the real world. Fax? ha, ha…
400 feet? Why so short. Go for 2100 feet so we can claim the title of tallest building in the western hemisphere. In fact, make this the height limit everywhere in Hawaii. SARCASM!
Little resistance? Who knew about it?! Stop the madness. Only the revolutionary Chinese princelings, seeking to launder their smuggled out, ill-gotten funds are propping up the property market. Do you really want such morally bankrupt neighbors?