Kamehameha Schools Plans Mixed-Use Retail Project in Downtown Honolulu

By Adriana Pop, Associate Editor

Kamehameha Schools is planning to invest $30 million to redevelop a Kakaako site into a retail and restaurant village. According to the Pacific Business News, the mixed-use project will be presented to the Hawaii Community Development Authority on July 3.

The plan, called Salt in recognition of the neighborhood’s salt ponds of the mid-1800s, calls for approximately 80,000 square feet of specialty retail.

The developer proposes the adaptive reuse of all existing buildings along Auahi Street, between Keawe and Coral streets, as well as the addition of 20,000 square feet of open space, including a plaza, landscaping, paved walkways and seating.

If approved, the new development will be located behind Six Eighty Ala Moana, Kamehameha’s 54 loft-style rental unit development.

The Salt project is part of the developer’s 15-year master plan in Kakaako, which could bring a total of 2,750 residential units, including street-level urban townhomes, work-live units and high-rise condominiums.

Kamehameha Schools spokesman Kekoa Paulson told the newspaper there are currently 26 tenants on the block, many of them local, boutique retailers who have expressed an interest in remaining on-site.

“To the extent they wish to remain and become part of the restaurant/retail village, we want to accommodate them,” Paulson said in an email sent to the Pacific Business News. “For tenants whose use is not suited for Salt, we will work with them to find alternate locations either in Kakaako or elsewhere, on other KS property.”

INK Architecture is the project’s architect, in partnership with Pompei AD. A decision from the HCDA is expected on Aug. 7.

Photo credit: www.pompeiad.com