The Honolulu City Council is expected to give final approval Wednesday for a nine-story affordable rental tower for low-income seniors in the heart of Waikiki.

The 62 one-bedroom and studio units of the Ainahau Vista II project, sandwiched between Tusitala Street and Ala Wai Boulevard, would be eligible for rent only by those 55 and older making up to 60 percent or less of area media income. Most of the units — 53 — will be aimed at those making 50 percent or less of median.

Monthly rents are expected to range from $528 to $1,131, including utilities.

Units would vary in size from 377 square feet for a studio to 420 square feet for a one-bedroom unit.

Resolution 17-27, giving the Hawaii Housing Development Corp. specific exemptions from standard building and land use codes, was approved by the Council Zoning and Transportation Committee on Thursday and is on the agenda of Wednesday’s January full Council meeting.

Among the exemptions being sought are a relaxation of maximum density requirements, to a 2.2 floor-to-area ratio from 1.9 FAR; parking requirements to 51 stalls instead of 169 spaces; and allowing 35 percent open space instead of 50 percent open space, meaning the building will have a larger footprint than normally allowed. Other exemptions waive the need to obtain a Waikiki special district permit, park dedication requirements and fees for various permits.

The developer would normally be required to carve 9,484 square feet of park space out of the two-tower, 35,761-square-foot lot. Instead, it is proposing one 1,790-square-foot multipurpose room in each of the towers, 1,692 square feet of garden space for residents and 3,586 square feet of landscaped area.

Keith Kurahashi, planner for the developer, said the 89-foot-high structure would be well below the 240-foot height limit that the property’s apartment zoning allows.

The $21.6 million tower would be a companion to the existing Ainahau Vista tower, which consists of 106 mostly one-bedroom units that are also required to be affordable rentals for seniors.

Both towers’ units must stay in the affordable category for 62 years. In order to put up the tower and keep it affordable, HHDC needs to obtain tax credits and other types of support from the state Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. and other state and federal government agencies, Kurahashi said.

New Council Zoning Chairwoman Kymberly Pine called putting affordable housing units in the ground a top priority for her committee. “This project is an example of a very expensive area where developers are still finding a way to build affordable housing,” she said.

Pine urged HHDC to work with other home developers who need to fulfill affordable-housing requirements.

A handful of area residents collected several hundred signatures opposing the project. They cited concerns about the loss of open park space, parking and other issues.

But on Thursday no one showed up to testify either for or against the project.

The Waikiki Neighborhood Board voted overwhelmingly to support the project.

Robert Finley, board chairman, agreed that the project would help fill a void. “We need affordable housing and it’s not a huge high-rise,” he said. “Hopefully, it will get more people off the street and into affordable housing.”