A public-private partnership to convert a vacant city-owned property in Ewa Beach into 127 units of affordable rental housing has advanced.
The Honolulu City Council voted Wednesday to adopt two related resolutions allowing Stanford Carr Development, LLC to build Kaleimao Village on a 3.7-acre parcel at 91-1666 Renton Road.
Komohale West Loch LLC, a joint venture between Stanford Carr Development and Los Angeles-based Standard Communities, is set to build the rental project.
The planned development near Fort Weaver Road will feature 119 units meant for eligible tenants who earn 60% or less of the area median income, or $83,550 a year for a four-person family or $58,500 annually for one person, according to project plans.
An additional seven units will be offered for extremely- low-income tenants, or those earning 30% AMI, or $41,750 annually for a family of four or $29,250 a year for a single person. One extra unit will be reserved for an on-site manager.
With construction slated to begin this year and completion expected by the end of 2026, the project was advanced, in part, via Resolution 74.
That legislation — adopted on a 8-0 vote, with Council member Andria Tupola absent — calls for the execution of a 75-year ground lease with Komohale West Loch. Per terms of the agreement, the developer will pay the city a net fixed rent of $1 per year.
In a related action, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution 73 authorizing the city Department of Planning and Permitting to issue and sell over $30.37 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds for the purpose of making a mortgage loan for Komohale West Loch to develop the affordable rentals in Ewa Beach.
At Wednesday’s Council meeting, neither the Council, the developer nor the public commented on the project.
But in a statement, Mayor Rick Blangiardi claimed Kaleimao Village targets Oahu’s “essential workforce — food service employees, childcare providers, maintenance staff, healthcare support workers and transportation personnel — who are vital to our communities yet often struggle to find affordable housing.”
“This is an excellent example of how through strong public-private partnerships and decisive action, we are ensuring that projects like this move forward efficiently,” the mayor added.
During a special Council Budget Committee hearing March 13, Kevin Auger, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, told the panel the solicitation of this particular Ewa Beach parcel was issued over six years ago.
“This timeline conforms with the average timeline of five-plus years for solicitation to ground lease of city-owned properties to private partners to construct affordable housing (under city laws),” Auger explained.
At the same meeting, Stanford Carr Jr., the project’s manager, outlined the development that will consist of seven three-story residential buildings, a 136-stall parking lot and a centrally located community center building.
“Adjacent to the community center is a tot lot for children to play as well as a community garden for residents to enjoy,” Carr said previously. “We recently received our building permit approval, so construction will commence upon closing and is expected to be completed by the end of next year.”
The project will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 543 to 922 square feet in size, he added.
For those who fall under 30% AMI criteria, Carr said the monthly rent for a one- bedroom, one-bathroom unit for a household of two earning $33,000 annually would start at $783, with further adjustment for a utility allowance.
For a three-bedroom unit, monthly rent would be up to $2,172 for a household of four earning $83,000 annually, he said.
Carr noted the buildings’ exteriors will be fiber- cement siding, and units will be served by solar water heating. The buildings will be up to 35 feet in height.
Resolution 73 indicates that to comply with the federal internal revenue code, the city ensures 40% of the residential units in the Kaleimao Village project — or about 50 units — will be occupied by individuals or families whose income is 60% or less of AMI.
