Hearings scheduled on Kakaako condo
Two public hearings have been scheduled to consider a development permit for a proposed luxury condominium tower in Kakaako called Vida.
The Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency regulating development in Kakaako, will hold the hearings Nov. 12 at 9:30 a.m. and Dec. 17 at 9 a.m. at its office conference room at 461 Cooke St.
Local development firms Kobayashi Group and the MacNaughton Group have proposed the 39-story tower on 3.4 acres of Kamehameha Schools land currently occupied by a family of Cutter automobile dealerships bordered by Ala Moana Boulevard, Koula Street and a closed-off portion of Auahi Street. The developers are not seeking to deviate from any HCDA rules.
The public may testify at both hearings, though anyone wishing to participate in the hearings as an intervenor with the ability to introduce expert witnesses and cross-examine experts retained by the developer must file a formal motion to do so with the HCDA by Oct. 17.
If a development permit is granted, sales of the tower’s 265 units are expected to begin soon afterward at prices projected to range from $900,000 to $4.7 million.
Vida is part of a Kamehameha Schools master plan called Our Kaka‘ako covering nine contiguous blocks envisioned for up to seven towers and 2,750 residential units.
Farmers sought for Kunia agriculture park
The nonprofit manager of an agriculture park in Kunia is seeking tenants interested in farming parts of an additional 37 acres recently added to the 182-acre property.
The Hawaii Agricultural Foundation announced Monday that it is accepting applications from small farmers for plots in the expansion area now through Oct. 14.
Tours of the expansion area will be held Friday and Oct. 10. Application materials and more information are available online at hawaiiagfoundation.org/kunia-agpark. Ag park manager Lisa Zeman can also be reached at lisazinhawaii@gmail.com or 343-8196.
The farm area dubbed HAF Ag Park at Kunia and formerly known as Kunia Ag Park was created in 2011 by the foundation, which is an offshoot of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, after major Hawaii landowner James Campbell Co. sold 2,400 acres of fallow former pineapple and sugar cane fields in 2008 to Island Palm Communities, a partnership between the Army and developer Lend Lease.
The partnership rented most of the land to seed corn producer Monsanto in 2009 and intended to build homes for soldiers on part of the property near Schofield Barracks.
As part of the Monsanto lease, Island Palm required that about 10 percent of the land be made available to local farmers, and the foundation initially began with 182 acres leased to 18 farmers.
Kailua restaurant to hold closing party
Kailua cheesesteak restaurant Pepper’s Place will stage a closing party at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Kailua Shopping Center.
"We have decided we will go with $5 for an authentic cheesesteak … with grilled onions," said Carol Dee, who owns the restaurant with her husband, John. The couple will sell fries for $1, "and we’ll offer free sodas until we run out and I’ll have several desserts for everyone, of course, at no charge," she said.
After some 14 years, the Dees learned, during the process of attempting to renegotiate their lease with Honolulu-based shopping center owner Alexander & Baldwin Properties, that their 400-square-foot space had been leased to another restaurant company.
GRYLT, a locally based chain of three restaurants, said it will be opening in Kailua Shopping Center in November.
HomeStreet buying California bank
Seattle-based HomeStreet Bank, which has three branches and five home loan centers in Hawaii, is acquiring Simplicity Bank of Covina, Calif., in an all-stock deal.
The deal, announced after the stock market closed Monday, would form a combined company with $4.1 billion in assets $3.1 billion in deposits and $3.1 billion in loans based on June 30 totals. The acquisition is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. If the proposed merger is finalized, Southern California branches of Simplicity Bank would become HomeStreet Bank branches.
The proposed merger is in Southern California only and will not affect Hawaii branches or employees.
HomeStreet, which has 68 employees in Hawaii, began offering home loan services in Hawaii in 1979 and retail banking services in 1999. HomeStreet has a branch and a home loan center in each of Honolulu, Pearl City and Hilo, as well as home loan centers in Kahului and Waimea.
Omidyar 52nd richest
EBay founder turned Hawaii-based philanthropist and businessman Pierre Omidyar, 47, is the only billionaire on the annual Forbes 400 list to cite Hawaii as his home state.
Omidyar was listed Monday as No. 52 with a net worth of $8.2 billion. He dropped five spots from his 2013 rank of No. 47.
ON THE MOVE
Prince Resorts Hawaii has appointed Caren Murata to regional director of leisure sales. Murata previously served as a senior regional sales manager at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows and held various sales positions at Aloha Airlines for 25 years.
Graham Builders has announced that Micheal Crews is the firm’s project manager. He has more than 35 years of experience in the home building industry. Prior to joining Graham Builders, Crews served as superintendent at ChrisContract.
The University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business has appointed Keith Vieira as an executive-in-residence. Vieira was previously a principal with KV & Associates, Hospitality Consulting. Prior to KV & Associates, he worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts for 33 years as a senior vice president and director of operations for Hawaii and French Polynesia.
