Compromise reached over Mana‘olana high-rise
The Honolulu City Council will take a final vote on a 400-foot condominium-hotel tower across from the Hawai‘i Convention Center next week after a compromise was reached Wednesday on the amount of affordable housing the developer must provide.
Under a new draft of Resolution 16-172, Mana‘olana Partners will “partner with a city or state public housing development agency to provide at least 20 rental housing units” that meet affordable housing requirements within 1 mile of the upcoming Ala Moana rail transit station, or contribute the monetary equivalent of 20 rental units up to $3 million that is to be deposited into the city’s Housing Development Special Fund.
The compromise was crafted by Council Zoning Chairman Trevor Ozawa, Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga, their staffs and developer representatives to address public concerns that the 16 units or $2.4 million in cash in-lieu fees provided in the previous draft was insufficient to put a dent in the city’s housing crunch.
The new language was approved by the Zoning and Planning Committee on Wednesday and will be up for a final vote on Oct. 5.
The resolution grants development bonuses that allow the project to be built higher, at a greater density and with less parking than existing zoning allows for the site. Plans call for 109 residential units, 125 hotel rooms and a street-level commercial plaza on two properties that now house a 7-Eleven and several other restaurants, bars and stores at the busy Atkinson Drive-Kapiolani Boulevard intersection.
19 responses to “Compromise reached over Mana‘olana high-rise”
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What a charade! As usual, the developer opens the bargaining by asking for waivers. Then a few people involved wring their hands, pretending that the building codes mean something. Finally, the developer gets the requested waivers with some token concessions.
20 out of 234 units. And, height increases? And, somehow 20 units are enough to say, OK you’ve done enough?
Seriously?! 16 was not enough to put a dent in the demand and NEED, but add 4 more and suddenly that is just fine and dandy? These jokers have no business being in charge of such important matters. Why build a rail that requires TOD if these imbeciles won’t require TOD but give all the TOD benefits away to wealthy developers?!?!?! This is an outrage.
Yes, $3 million will only build 20 units, start to scratch – and 20 units is not very much. There would be double that number if it was build somewhere other than a mile from the convention center, where land is cheaper. And there would be double double double that number if it was invested in an affordable project as equity. And it could be would be double double double double double that number if it was invested as equity in a public-private partnership that took public land that was lying fallow and reused it for affordable housing.
I doubt you can build 20 units for $3.0 million. If you do, they would be very small and basic.
$3,000,000 / 20 units = $150,000 per unit max.
Another compromise? It seems that this type of compromise, circumvents City building mandates to provide, a limited affordable housing units for qualified local residents.
Compromise = political payoff
A compromise?! So, there’s NO affordable housing in the first building going up under the city’s vaunted transit-oriented development (TOD) rules. This is outrageous, not to mention stupid. Our city is out of our control. Mainland developers get what they want, make the money they want, and we can’t seem to stop them no matter how damaging they are to the local community.
Caldwell’s vaunted TOD planning principles are being sold off for pocket change, even as Mufi’s train collapses under its own weight. Never has the corruption that infects city government been laid bare more cleanly. Auwe!
$3M will not provide 20 rental housing units. How did they come up with this number? they should have to purchase land somewhere and BUILD an apartment to give to the city. The city can then rent these apartments out at “affordable prices”
watch, the 20 units will not happen…..just the 3 million cash will be given to the City.
the other idea is to have these low income units as low on the tower to traffic while the upper units avoid traffic noise (rarefied air?).
I picked up trash 3 weeks ago from around the bus stop outside that particular 7-Eleven store, cause it bugged me……trash everywhere and there is a public trash can RIGHT there….too many inokea people hang around and make a filthy mess…….and it’s not going to get any better…..auwe!
What is affordable rental? Did they come up with the numbers?
$3 million will be pocket change compared to the profit the developer will reap.
So much easier for them to just give the city the money that will go toward fixing the shims on the rail and poof.
This project should be cancelled because the developer doesn’t get it that Honolulu requires a lot more affordable housing for our workforce and already has too much luxury development that goes directly to off-shore speculators. Time to say NO!
This state desperately needs a “Coastal Commission” like California’s to protect the coastline.
Honolulu City Council for Sale! Looks like they’ll change the rules for development for 3 million and max campaign donations for the duration of construction.
The best lawmakers money can buy right here in Hawaii nei. That’s what you get when the same political party runs government for 60 years continuously.
Anyone besides me smell a rat? Maybe a “pay-off” or two? Isn’t anyone upset by this crap?
Didn’t A&B reach a similar compromise to build 128 affordable rentals when the Waihonua condo was approved?