Picture 400 to 600 affordable rental units and a vertical public school located on a single, two-acre location in Kakaako within a stone’s throw of the upcoming transit line.
Redevelopment of the one-time site of the Pohukaina School campus was first discussed in the early 1990s as part of the ambitious improvement plan for the aging Kakaako district conceived by the Hawaii Community Development Authority. But a 1992 plan to develop two residential towers stalled amid an economic downturn.
In 2013, HCDA approved a different plan for what would have been a 650-foot tower, the tallest in the state. Space for a potential school to accommodate the fast-growing neighborhood was part of the plan. But delays in negotiating an agreement with the state Department of Education (DOE) regarding the school, as well as a legislative measure to cap building heights, contributed to things coming to a standstill.
Years later, an executive order set aside the property to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. (HHFDC) to develop the parcel for housing and educational purposes. HHFDC issued a new request for proposals in November 2021 in hopes of moving things forward. HHFDC’s commitment to housing and education on the site has never changed, contrary to recent reports.
What has changed is that the DOE will now pursue a stand-alone school with its own dedicated footprint instead of being integrated into the housing component.
This change was reflected in the November 2021 RFP calling for affordable housing and educational uses.
The DOE is working on its development plan for the Pohukaina property.
Meanwhile, the demand for housing, and affordable housing in particular, remains high. According to the 2019 Hawaii Housing Planning Study by SMS Research and Marketing Services, about 50,000 housing units are needed statewide over a five-year period. Numerous news stories in this newspaper and other news outlets suggest a similar need.
With all this in mind, HHFDC believes that the state needs to get as many housing units into the ground as soon as possible. This is why HHFDC moved forward with the RFP for the Pohukaina property.
The current request for proposals gives a developer a 75-year lease in exchange for a plan to construct about 400 to 600 housing units. The goal is to produce as many “affordable” units as possible for homeowners earning no more than 140% of the area median income.
The developer will need to consult with DOE officials about the siting of the future educational component. The final master plan must be approved by both HHFDC and DOE.
HHFDC will make up to $2 million available from the state Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for this project, as well as possibly provide zoning and fee exemptions and construction financing. Housing at Pohukaina is long overdue and HHFDC wants to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Denise Iseri-Matsubara is executive director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp., the state agency that provides financing and aid to developers seeking to increase/retain workforce and affordable housing.
