Work on third Ward Village high-rise set to begin
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Holger Gruenert, left, and wife Stephanie, third from left, have two units in the new tower. May Lew and John Tyrrell are also owners of units in the new tower. They were invited to the groundbreaking.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Above, the site of the Ae‘o broke ground yesterday. It has become the third condominium tower to start construction at Ward Village, joining Waiea and Anaha (in background) towers, which broke ground in 2014. Sites for all three projects are shown at right.
Ward Village now has three condominium towers under construction on adjacent blocks following a ceremonial groundbreaking for the newest high-rise, named Ae‘o, on Thursday.
Howard Hughes Corp., developer of the community undergoing a shift from largely retail and warehouse use to residential and retail use, held the event on the parking lot of the former Office Depot and Nordstrom Rack stores. Ae‘o will include a 38-story glass-sided tower with 466 homes above a Whole Foods store. It’s expected to open in 2018.
“It’s been a long wait. … It’s a great day at Ward Village as we continue to create a community that will enhance the lives of not only the people that are going to live here, but also the people that are going to shop here, dine here and come here for their entertainment.”
David Striph
Head of Texas-based Hughes Corp
“We’re excited to get underway,” Nick Vanderboom, senior vice president of development for Hughes Corp., told an audience at the ceremony that included Ae‘o unit buyers, real estate agents and members of the development team.
Technically, there won’t be much construction taking place on the site until next month because Office Depot is still clearing out the store it closed last month. But the groundbreaking represents a $390 million step toward fulfilling the developer’s master plan to erect up to 22 residential towers on 60 acres formerly known as Ward Centers.
No one lives at Ward Village yet, but Robert Tangonan, a retired state probation officer, said he’s looking forward to being among the initial wave of new residents.
Tangonan, 71, said his home in the Royal Summit neighborhood of Aiea is “too far from the action.”
Paul Herran already lives in a Kakaako high-rise with his wife, Mai, and their nearly 2-year-old daughter. The family rents a unit in the nearby Nauru Tower but saw Ae‘o as an opportunity to buy their first home.
Herran said a city rail station that is planned to be near Ae‘o will make the airport a 7-minute trip away, while going to the grocery store will take a few seconds in an elevator.
“I really appreciate convenience, and having Whole Foods just a couple floors below is a huge plus,” he said.
David Striph, head of Texas-based Hughes Corp. in Hawaii, said it was great to be able to begin the store’s construction — 10 years after plans for a flagship urban Honolulu Whole Foods store were announced for the Ward neighborhood, and before Hughes Corp. acquired Ward Centers. The earlier plan was abandoned after the property’s former owner, General Growth Properties Inc., ran into financial and construction difficulties.
“It’s fantastic to have Whole Foods finally get started,” Striph said. “It’s been a long wait. … It’s a great day at Ward Village as we continue to create a community that will enhance the lives of not only the people that are going to live here, but also the people that are going to shop here, dine here and come here for their entertainment.”
Hughes Corp. began sales for Ae‘o in July. Prices range from $405,016 for a studio with 409 square feet of living space to $2 million for a three-bedroom unit with 1,331 square feet of living space. The average is about $1 million and 836 square feet.
The company said in November that it had sold 167 units, or about 36 percent of the inventory. Hughes Corp. is expected to release an updated sales count next month as part of a quarterly financial report but declined to provide an update Thursday.
The two towers already under construction at Ward Village are Waiea, an ultraluxury condo that broke ground in mid-2014 and is up to about the 35th story, and Anaha, which broke ground in late 2014 is is up to about the 18th story.
Hughes Corp. has two other towers approved for development that are likely at least a year away from breaking ground.
One, called Gateway, is another ultraluxury condo, where sales began in July. This tower is slated to replace part of Ward Warehouse, though construction is not planned this year. Hughes Corp. has not disclosed sales for the 125-unit project.
The other approved tower is Ke Kilohana at 988 Halekauwila St., a 424-unit condo where sales for the moderately priced units are expected to begin later this year.
44 responses to “Work on third Ward Village high-rise set to begin”
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Have you ever noticed how Texans all have that “Aw-Shucks” smile? Hopefully, they’ll all be bringing their horses and Honolulu City Limits becomes equestrian only…
Are these horses allowed to park in the disabled parking stall? Where would we hang up the blue placard?
It sounds like an overpriced nightmare. And how can the probation officer afford living there. This is not a community-maker. It si a community breaker. And they are all shopping at the overpriced whole foods.
Allie, have you considered that maybe you are just underachiving, and that not everyone would like to have such a stalled and middling professional life??
I finish graduate school in August and am not in any way underachieving. Your position seems absurd. May you have Barry Sanders in your living room for life!
You are at best piddling along with your pedestrian comments and pillock like intellect.
My puppies say to be nice to allie.
I’m with Allie. Sounds like another Ala Moana. I doubt many locals will go there. Honolulu IS a playground for the rich and famous. Is this what Abercrombie had in mind? No wonder he lost the election.
Put a couple of lei’s and a few Hawaiian shirts on them and there just regular friendly folk. Not.
If you read the caption you might discover they are locals and not Texans.
They are very astute house flippers in that photo. They know that the demand for real estate in Hawaii will never fade away.
“lee 1957” WHAT “CAPTION” are you reading? Perhaps you are confused by the two women who appear to be Asian. Are you aware that Asians also live in Texas? Moreover, just because the men are wearing Aloha shirts doesn’t make them local. I suspect YOU are a Propagandist’s DREAM COME TRUE.
My nickname for all these glass towers is “hurricane bait.”
The high fee of the condominium association will keep the storm away.
Waiting for the economy to turn down and all these towers put on hold?
The Feds just refilled the ink for more money printing.
Rain or shine. Robust economy or not, its full steam ahead with the Ward center development. Obviously, this project was planned during the ascending stage of the American economy a few years ago.
Urgh, parking in Ward is going to go from bad to worse after all these condos are built and public parking is replaced with condos.
This particular site has no public parking now.
Time to ditch the car and drive a Jazzy scooter in Honolulu.
IS THIS CONDO ON LEASED LAND OR FEE SIMPLE? WHAT IS THE AVERAGE MONTHLY MAINTENANCE FEES RANGE?
Or lease with the option to buy the fee simple.
So confusing. It’s a ground breaking but they are not breaking ground yet. Lots of people in orchid leis sitting in a parking lot. The purpose of all this is………… what?
Charge a dollar and a half just to see them. Put up a parking lot.
Glass jungle in the making.
Beautiful, isn’t it, nuuanusam?
Slowly but surely, the island of Oahu will not look like a Hawaiian island anymore because the Democrat control government (city and State) of this State is allowing another high rise to take hold of precious land here.
The wealthy mainland developers come here to build their high rise, for who? For those that can afford. Those are wealthy mainland clients.
I am so pissed off at the Democratic party, sometimes I wish the Hawaii Monarchy would rule this island…yes a King and Queen. So they can kick out these greedy Democs from the islands.
I, for one, am glad to see the Ward area undergoing change. It’s now a junky run down area with all the warehouses in back of the theater but this development should help improve the area. Hey folks, don’t knock those who have the resources to want to live in the Ae’o. Some folks like the apacious feeling living in the suburbs, others desire the convenience to the city, though sacrificing living space. One size, fortunately, doesn’t fit all.
in the words of allie “agree”
Strike allie’s nerve?
Yep. Every since today’s plastic cars became like a disposable lighter, it is cheaper to buy a new one than to fix it. That area was filled with auto repair shops in the 1960s when car was built like a real car.
“…they paved over paradise…”
You ain’t seen nothing yet. Still paving our O’ahu nei, until lawn mowers become extinct.
The new condo on the Diamond Head side of Ward Entertainment Center was selling for 6M. The condo on the ocean side was even more. How much are these? Did you ever notice a large number are reserved and unavailable for purchase. Friends of Hughes. Did you know half of the Nordstrom condos were reserved for Japanaese buyers only? I would NOT buy a condo. Too crowded, and I hate high maintenance fees. Units are so small I think of hobbit apartments. I like to walk a few steps to my backdoor in my own house. My maintenance fee is only my yardman. I make my own rules in my own house. I don’t think you can plug in an electric car (220V) in any condo. Can’t even plug in a battery trickler (110V). These luxury real estate is for the super rich. Have you been watching the market indexes. Marketwatch sez the Dow has crossed a threshold from which we go even further downhill.
We don’t expect you to like everything for sale out there. There is a demand for every type of home for everyone’s own lifestyle.
What’s your point, Raccoon? No one is forcing you to buy a luxury condo. Sounds like jealousy on your part towards the extreme rich. Wish I had that kind of wealth but I don’t belittle those that have it.
I do have that kind of wealth and still am able to respect all social economic levels of our community.
As long as these rich people support the Local Arts………who cares?
Buyers beware. A number of buyers in these developments who are moving from their single family fee simple homes will come to realize that paying the monthly maintenance fees is a costly item which they can ill afford. The initial attraction to the novelty of living in nice new condos with convenience to shopping and recreational facilities will quickly fade. Those monthly fees are certain to increase as time goes by. Having a little plot of land that one owns becomes and increasingly valuable commodity as a person recedes into retirement.
Exactly as I was saying. I used to live in a condo. There will be lots of fools you don’t like and lots of fools who don’t like you. Makes you lose your faith in Mankind.
To build highrises without doubling, quadrupling or more the width of the roads is a rotten game. Stuck in traffic is the mean consequence.
The new Concrete Jungle. Oahu is already tilting from the overweight.
Funny to see those new condos under construction on Piikoi near Alamoana Blvd. They have views of the condo across the street. No ocean view. The ones being built ON Alamoana Blvd are just high enough to see the ocean over the trees, but the traffic noise is unacceptable. Do you want a nicer place to live or rent? Try driving up Keahole Street in Hawaii Kai past the USPS building. Super nice homes and condo-like houses with well-manicured yards. So green and peaceful. Glad I moved into this area back in 1990. Then Costco and City Mill moved into our open arms increasing our property values. Dunno if this new affordable apartments is going to be a good thing. Might need to build a police substation in their parking lot. Affordabe might be just another nice word for low income housing.
The people in the picture are speculators – notice it says that one couple “have two units in the new tower” and it says the second couple “are also owners of units in the new tower” with the plural “s”. Nothing wrong with that but don’t be misled into thinking locals are buying to live in these condos.