A drab low-rise office building put up 52 years ago in Kakaako is almost done being transformed into modern apartment lofts as the first major piece of a master plan by Kamehameha Schools to redevelop 29 acres in the area.
The trust made rental applications available Monday for the 54 units in the four-story building at 680 Ala Moana Blvd. that should be ready for occupancy early next month and are reserved for middle-income residents.
Apartments in the building renamed Six Eighty feature 12-foot ceilings, appliances with stainless-steel finishes, tinted windows, air conditioning and an exterior paint scheme of cream and charcoal with bright green trim.
Living spaces in the studio and one-bedroom units are small, ranging from 304 to 613 square feet. But rents ranging from $1,100 to $1,400 a month are significantly below affordable limits set by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Other features of Six Eighty include an elevator, laundry facilities on each floor, a game room, a media room and a recreation deck with barbecue and lounge areas. Parking isn’t included, but is available for $75 a month, subject to availability.
Kamehameha Schools characterizes Six Eighty as "urban-island living" for people who will become the first residents in a master-planned area where warehouses and other old buildings are to be replaced with restaurants, stores and up to 2,750 housing units largely in condominium towers over the next 15 years.
"We’re excited for our new residents to move in and be part of ‘Our Kakaako,’" Paul Kay, director of Kakaako development for Kamehameha Schools, said in a written statement. "They are joining a small, but active, hui of entrepreneurs, chefs, artists and innovators who share a strong sense of community and are helping to author Kakaako’s future."
The Kamehameha Schools master plan covers roughly nine blocks between Ala Moana Boulevard, South Street, Halekauwila Street and Ward Avenue.
At Six Eighty, Starbucks became the first of three or four commercial ground-floor tenants when it opened Sept. 28. A Hawaiian food eatery is expected to occupy a second space. One or two more spaces should be filled by retail or restaurant users negotiating leases.
Apartments are reserved for residents earning no more than Honolulu’s median income, which is $57,890 for a single person, $66,160 for a couple or $74,430 for a family of three.
Household sizes at Six Eighty may be from one to three people.
To qualify for a unit, prospective tenants may not have owned a majority interest in a principal residence during the last three years, may not have assets above a certain value and must live in the rental unit.
Kamehameha Schools will select tenants for Six Eighty in the priority of completed applications turned in by qualified prospective renters, though preference will be given to people displaced from housing in Kakaako because of development.
Rental agent Cirrus Asset Management will accept applications for Six Eighty starting at 9 a.m. Oct. 29 from prospective tenants in person at its office at 441 Walina St. in Waikiki.
Applications are available from Cirrus at its office, via email at 680alamoana@cirrusami.com or by calling 226-9876. They are also available online at 680alamoana.com.
Applicants must pay a nonrefundable $40 fee that includes the cost of a credit check.
Kamehameha Schools announced plans for Six Eighty in December 2010. The trust also plans to develop a 60,000-square-foot retail center mauka of Six Eighty, and has agreed to sell the block just Ewa of the apartments to local developer Alexander & Baldwin Inc. for construction of a condo tower in the next few years.
