It’s been part of the master plan all along, of course: Build Oahu’s “Second City” in Kapolei — bustling with housing, commercial and retail centers, as well as educational, work and recreational hubs.
So it’s unreasonable to object to Leiwili Kapolei, the
900-unit affordable housing, mixed-use project proposed by Ikenakea Development and The Michaels Organization. The L-shaped property is near the Kapolei Shopping Center, across from a Walmart, abuts the Villages of Kapolei and the Daniel K. Inouye State Veterans Home, and is bordered by Fort Barrette Road, Kealanani Avenue and Farrington Highway.
But therein lies the difficulty, with all that density and activity underscoring the No. 1 concern with Leiwili Kapolei: traffic impact and congestion.
In a Sept. 25 informational hearing before the City Council’s Housing, Sustainability and Health Committee, the need for affordable housing was rightly acknowledged — but focus fell on traffic worries.
“I think Fort Barrette has been the major concern,” said developer Christopher Flaherty, noting changes were made to move project entrances along that road farther away from intersections to ease congestion. “And one of the concerns that we heard most recently, that is outside of our scope of responsibility and work … is the Makakilo entrance (to the H-1 freeway), which is further mauka of our property.”
Indeed, improving freeway access for the Makakilo community would mitigate a major choke point — an imperative that extends beyond Leiwili Kapolei, into the purview of government.
Vested residents have long advocated for completion of 4,000 linear feet of roadway for Makakilo Drive to the H-1 Kualakai Parkway Interchange. But to no avail.
“No progress has been made, and now local residents are confronted with … up to 900 affordable housing units on 20-plus acres across from the Kapolei Walmart adjacent to one of the busiest intersections on the island,” Makakilo residents Michael Ferreira, Frank Genadio and John Shockley wrote last month (“It’s past time to extend Makakilo Drive,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Sept. 15).
The expected traffic from Leiwili Kapolei’s commuters — let alone today’s area motorists — behooves the city Department of Transportation Services, ideally in conjunction with better-resourced state and federal agencies, to get going now on this long-awaited improvement that stands to benefit multiple communities.
On the housing front, there’s little doubt this 900-unit project is needed, with its range of affordable one- to three-bedroom units for various income levels, that would address Oahu’s dire shortage. Especially welcome are units for extremely low-income households — those earning 30% of area median income, or $41,750 yearly for a family of four.
It’s a positive that the first of Leiwili Kapolei’s four phases aims to deliver 242 rentals “all catering to 60% AMI and below,” Flaherty told the Council committee. Future phases could include 484 units, meant for 100% to 140% AMI renters, and 72 affordable for-sale units. Tapping into state tax credits and using 201H exemptions for affordable housing, the developer hopes to get city building permits by April 2027 and start first-phase construction the following month for completion in November 2028.
Also encouraging is that the array of affordable homes is master-planned to include mixed-use retail space on ground floors, which should vitalize live/work/play neighborhoods.
There has never been a shortage of lofty hopes and dreams trying to fulfill the needs of Oahu’s growing population — from Kapolei’s Second City, to the long-awaited rail project. In fits and starts, finally, these big thinks are coming to fruition. Skyline actually holds much potential to help ease some of the dreaded traffic woes — if the city can creatively provide for connectivity and convenience. And work life has evolved significantly since Kapolei was first imagined, allowing more remote working, meaning fewer cars on the road at the same time.
Creating a second city and optimizing a new transit system require more than just the built environment; it will also take new mindsets and adaptive behaviors to make life work.
