Hawaii Developers' Council News Articles

Hoku Corp. gets loan-term extension

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:02:11 GMT

Hoku Corp. said Monday that the maturity date of $50 million in loans from a Chinese investor has been extended for one year until the first quarter of 2013. Honolulu-based Hoku (Nasdaq: HOKU) said the $20 million and $30 million two-year loans provided by Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. through China Construction Bank in early 2010 were scheduled to mature this quarter. Chinas State Administration of Foreign Exchange, which approved the extensions, also preauthorized Tianwei and China Construction to extend the maturity date another year to the first quarter of 2014...

Kauai home sales, prices flat in January

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:02:11 GMT

Home sales on Kauai were flat in January, as were prices, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service. There were 30 single-family homes sold on the Garden Isle last month, which was just one more than the 29 sold in January 2011. The median price of a single-family home last month was $402,500, which was 4 percent less than the $421,000 median price in January 2011. There were 21 condominiums sold in January, which was one more than the 20 units sold in January 2011, and the median price of a condo was flat at $270,000.

"World's best coffee" in downtown Honolulu

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:02:04 GMT

Who knew that the "worlds best coffee" is located in downtown Honolulu? Youd think itd be where some of the top-rated beans come from, like for instance, the Kona Coast, Costa Rica or Colombia. But instead its the Coffee Factory on Bishop Street that holds the title, according to the slogan that sits right below its name. Its Remington College Building storefront says: Coffee Factory, worlds best coffee sold here. And I happened to try it yesterday for the first time. So is it as good as its being advertised? And are the prices piping hot? The answers to both of those questions can be summed up with one phrase: Its all in the beans...

Commercial kitchen incubator on Kauai receives OK to open

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:02:04 GMT

A commercial kitchen incubator on Kauai has received its certification from the Hawaii Department of Health to open and serve the public. The Anahola Marketplace Kitchen was developed by the nonprofit Homestead Community Development Corp. and is the first of its kind on Kauai. This is a major milestone for the Anahola Marketplace and for the people of Kauai, board member Lorraine Rapozo said in a statement. Whether a vendor makes and sells food product at the marketplace, or is a mobile vendor accessing the kitchen for fresh water, this commercial kitchen is very important to Kauai...

Hawaii unemployment claims down by 3.2%

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:02:06 GMT

The number of initial unemployment claims in Hawaii declined 3.2 percent statewide last week, with two counties showing double-digit drops and two counties showing increases, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. There were a total of 2,028 initial jobless claims filed statewide during the week ending Jan. 28, compared to 2,096 claims filed during the same week in 2011, the state said. Maui and the Big Island both saw drops of more than 20 percent in the number of jobless claims...

Castle & Cookes Koa Ridge before Hawaii land board, once again

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:02:06 GMT

EIS, check. Approved commissioners, check. For Castle & Cooke Hawaii Homes $2 billion, 5,000-home Koa Ridge development on Oahu, its been anything but smooth sailing. The 10-year dragged-out process dealing with the petition to change the land designation from agricultural to urban was approved twice but then denied through protests from the Sierra Club. The third try began Thursday morning at a packed state Land Use Commission meeting room in downtown Honolulu. Castle & Cooke made its case throughout the morning and into the afternoon...

Chef Ludo Lefebvre will tour Hualalai Resort

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:02:06 GMT

Los Angeles chef Ludo Lefebvre is bringing his touring restaurant concept LudoBites to Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at the Hualalai Resort on the Big Island. LudoBites Hawaii Nine-0 will pop-up at the Hualalai Grille from March 6 to March 17, with a menu of small plates and specialty cocktails. I am looking forward to working in such a beautiful setting with really amazing local ingredients, Lefebvre said in a statement. Hualalai Resort and Four Seasons have found a special place in my heart, and I am really excited about cooking here for the Hualalai members, guests of Four Seasons and the people of Hawaii...

Honolulu Seawater A/C gets state OKs

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:02:07 GMT

Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC has been granted a special management area use permit and a shoreline setback variance by the state of Hawaii, moving its project closer to starting construction. The SMA permit granted by the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourisms Office of Planning will allow Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning to build a pumping and cooling station in Kakaako, as well as install the underground piping that will carry chilled seawater to cool downtown office buildings...

Maui Outlets project generates buzz in the market

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:02:02 GMT

The Maui Outlets shopping center story from PBNs Jan. 27th print edition is creating quite a buzz. From a trade journal in Florida to a Maui Realtor and other developers, theres certainly an interest in what would become Hawaiis largest outlet mall twice the size of the Waikele Premium Outlets on Oahu. The developer, California-based Eclipse Development Group LLC, will be watched by many across the state and the country, when it begins construction soon. The $250 million to $300 million estimated cost of the project, which sits mauka of Piilani Highway in Kihei, will be a huge draw for tourists and kamaaina not just on Maui, but statewide...

Hawaii adds $150,000 to electric-vehicle rebate program

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:01:06 GMT

The state of Hawaii has recharged its electric-vehicle rebate program with an additional $150,000 in funding and has extended the deadline for rebates on new electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and chargers another two months. The deadline for the states EV rebate program was pushed to March 31 from the Jan. 31 deadline that had been extended from September, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said in a statement. The state of Hawaii is definitely becoming a national leader when it comes to the acceptance of vehicles that are 100 percent electric, said Mark Glick, energy program administrator for the State Energy Office...

Queen Liliuokalani Trust selling fee to Waikiki land

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:01:02 GMT

Queen Liliuokalani Trust plans to offer the fee interest for the land beneath four Waikiki leasehold condominiums, including Foster Tower on Kalakaua Avenue. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the trust earns 70 percent of its revenue from 16 acres of land it owns in Waikiki, which includes the land under the Waikiki Beach Marriott, the Pacific Beach Hotel and the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel, and wants to use the proceeds from the fee sale to develop lands in other locations. The newspaper reports that sales of the fee interest on Foster Tower, the Waikiki Banyan, the Waikiki Sunset and Liliuokalani Gardens at Waikiki are being handled by Peter Savio of Hawaiian Island Homes Ltd.

Muddy Waters Cafe is back at Kailua shopping center

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:01:04 GMT

The popular Muddy Waters Cafe at Kailua's Aikahi Park Shopping Center, which closed and reopened under another name two years ago, is under new ownership and undergoing a renovation that will include an outdoor deck. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Jerry Brown, who owns Utopia Landscaping & Tree Service, recently bought the business from Mark Flathau, and bought the name rights to Muddy Waters Cafe from its former owner Julie Loo. The newspaper reports that Flathau, who bought the business from Loo after the original Muddy Waters closed in November 2009, had renamed the 360 square-foot space the Drop In Cafe.

Optimism, and a wizards hat, at 2012 Hawaii real estate forecast

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:01:05 GMT

A wizards hat, poems and a kaleidoscope. No, I wasnt at a carnival on Friday morning. Instead, those were just some of the tools used by the presenters at the 2012 Hawaii Real Estate Forecast, held at the Hawaii Convention Center. The captive audience, mostly made up of Realtors, listened to the experts throughout the marketplace. Paul Brewbaker, principal of TZ Economics, kicked off the event with an economic outlook. He said there are good signs that a recovery is nearing, like home prices beginning to stabilize...

Unemployment claims in Hawaii drop 25%

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:01:17 GMT

Initial unemployment claims in Hawaii fell by 25 percent last week compared to a year ago, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. There were 1,785 initial jobless claims filed during the week ending Jan. 21, a drop of 25.4 percent from the 2,392 claims filed during the same week in 2011. Maui and Kauai counties saw the largest percentage decreases in jobless claims last week, while the Big Island saw a slight increase. There were 127 unemployment claims filed on Kauai last week, 46...

Atlanta-based Invesco buys Honolulu Safeway center

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:01:07 GMT

Atlanta-based investment company Invesco has purchased the Safeway-anchored shopping center on Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Property Development Centers, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), sold the center as part of a portfolio that included properties in West Hollywood, Dublin and Burlingame, Calif. The newspaper reports that Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway will lease its 60,000 square-foot supermarket back from the new owners. The newspaper reports that terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Chaminade parking structure funded by $18M Marianist gift

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:01:07 GMT

Construction of a 228-stall parking structure for Saint Louis School and Chaminade University in Honolulu is on track for completion in the spring of 2013. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the $11.8 million construction cost is being funded by a gift of more than $18 million over the period from 2008 to 2015 from the Marianist Center of Hawaii and the Marianist Province of the United States. The newspaper reports that another $5.8 million will be used for storm drainage and other improvements to the campus.

Players, fans want Pro Bowl to stay in Hawaii

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:01:03 GMT

The Hawaii Tourism Authority and the NFL are tight-lipped about the status of negotiations to keep the Pro Bowl in Honolulu as the game gets closer to Sundays kick-off. But some players and fans told PBN talked they dont want to see the game leave Hawaii. NFL officials, who arrived on Oahu earlier this week, said they are keeping their options open when it comes to the Pro Bowls venue. At this point we have explored other sites, NFL spokesman Jon Zimmer told PBN before a press conference at the leagues headquarters during Pro Bowl week, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort...

Aloun Farms owners support D.R. Horton project

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:01:06 GMT

The owners of Aloun Farms are supporting developer D.R. Horton's plans to built an 11,750-home subdivision on land they currently lease for farming in West Oahu. Honolulu Civil Beat reports that Aloun Farms owner Alec Sou submitted testimony to the Hawaii Land Use Commission saying the business, which farms 1,100 of the 1,500 acres planned for D.R. Horton's Hoopili project, has secured an alternative site for Aloun Farms' farming operation. Civil Beat reports that Sou, who owns Aloun Farms with his brother Mike, said they have a lease with a landowner in Central Oahu to lease 400 acres of farmland in the next 15 years, with an option to increase to 1,000 acres...

Marriott investing $800M in Edition brand after Waikiki debacle

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:01:05 GMT

Marriott International is expected to invest as much as $800 million of its own money into developing three more Edition hotels in New York, London and Miami Beach, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The massive investment comes mere months after Marriott saw the Waikiki Edition hotel, which it helped develop and market to launch its entire Edition brand, snatched from the hands of its management team literally overnight. The late August takeover, maneuvered by the Waikiki hotels owners and an affiliate of Honolulu-based Aqua Hotels and Resorts Inc...

State will issue RFP for Hawaii's tallest building Friday

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:01:05 GMT

The state will issue the final request for proposals on Friday for what would become Hawaiis tallest building at 650 feet. The Hawaii Community Development Authority is looking for developers to build 690 Pohukaina in Kakaako, which would include one tower with 300 affordable for-sale units and a second tower with 500 market-priced units. The HCDA released the draft RFP last month and made some changes, after getting feedback from people in the community, that are included in the final RFP. In [the draft RFP], we had put out a minimum requirement of housing but with the feedback we got, we decided to change it, so instead of making it a minimum, we put forth a target [in the final RFP], HCDA Director of Planning and Development Deepak Neupane told PBN...

Hawaii jobless claims fall 3.9% year over year

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:01:04 GMT

Initial unemployment claims in Hawaii fell by 3.9 percent last week, compared to a year ago, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. There were a total of 2,300 initial jobless claims filed statewide during the week ending Jan. 14, down from 2,393 claims filed during the same week last year. The Big Island saw the largest percentage decrease, with 380 claims filed this year compared to 479 claims filed last year, a 20.7 percent drop. Oahu jobless claims fell by 2...

Hawaii ag officials support DR Horton project

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:01:08 GMT

Officials with Hawaii's Department of Agriculture say they support Hooipili, a 11,750-home subdivision proposed by D.R. Horton's Schuler Division for 1,500 acres of West Oahu farm land a reversal of the department's position of three years ago. Honolulu Civil Beat reports that agriculture Chairman Russell Kokobun earlier this month told the state Land Use Commission that the department supports the project because D.R. Horton plans to incorporate farming into the development and because more agricultural land is expected to become available...

Francis Oda expands global reach with affordable homes

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:01:08 GMT

Group 70 International Chairman Francis Oda is expanding his global reach this time in a venture separate from the decades-old architecture firm he leads. Oda, who is also senior pastor at New Life Church in Nuuanu, said his investment in the emerging firm Global Green Homes LLC is directly linked to his faith. The goal is to provide inexpensive, high-quality housing for the poor or economically disadvantaged globally, Oda said. My motivation is to do the right thing and there is a lot of religious motivation behind [Global Green Homes]...

Hawaii gets $1.48M to repair tsunami damage at harbor

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:01:03 GMT

Hawaii will receive a $1.48 million federal grant to repair two piers at Keehi Small Boat Harbor in Honolulu that were damaged by a tsunami last year. The harbor, which is home to 389 boat slips, suffered some of the greatest damage on Oahu from the March 11, 2011, tsunami, which was generated by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan. The money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will be administered by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' department of Boating and Recreation, will pay for repairs to Piers 700 and 800, according to a statement from Hawaii's congressional delegation issued by Sen...

Kaanapali Beach Club, Unite Here Local 5 agree on contract

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:01:11 GMT

Employees at the Kaanapali Beach Club on Maui have ratified a new three-year contract that covers approximately 200 workers who are members of the Unite Here Local 5 labor union. The ratification last Friday of the contract at the Kaanapali Beach Club, a time share operated by Diamond Resorts International, closes out the last contract negotiations for Local 5 on the Valley Isle. Employees at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, the only other Maui property with workers represented by Local 5, ratified a new three-year contract last spring when Starwood Hotels & Resorts and the union reached a deal for all of its covered properties...