With increasing congestion on Oahu resulting from our growing communities, most planners agree Kakaako is the most desirable urban place in Hawaii where people can work, live and play.

The development vision in place at the Hawaii Community Development Authority outlines policies to ensure Kakaako will become a mix of residential, commercial, industrial and other uses.

That’s the goal of Oliver McMillan and JN Automotive in developing The Symphony Honolulu, a unique, energy-efficient mixed-use condominium project proposed for the corner of Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue, across the street from one of the state’s premier arts venue, the Neal Blaisdell Center.

As partners of this contemporary urban-living project, we support the state’s vision on Kakaako.

OliverMcMillan made the largest single investment during the state’s recent economic downturn when it took over the stalled Moana Vista tower from another developer facing foreclosure. OliverMcMillan completed the 46-story Kakaako condo project and renamed it Pacifica. Today, 90 percent of the Pacifica residents are local. More than a quarter of the units are reserved for workforce housing. The $380 million Symphony  project will produce nearly a hundred more workforce housing units, meeting one of Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s goals in the planning for the Kakaako district.

JN Automotive, the owners of the land for The Symphony Honolulu project, is proposing to build a world-class auto showroom designed with energy-efficient technologies such as solar panels, reclamation of gray water and thermal zone cooling.

Symphony Hono-lulu will be the first of its kind in Hawaii to incorporate advanced energy technologies and meet HCDA’s new environmental certification. This will result in the reduction of its dependence on fossil fuels over the life of the project and a reduced carbon footprint.

In order to achieve these goals, we have requested a variance from the HCDA that, contrary to coverage in the Star-Advertiser, is not a violation of the existing rules. The variance meets the criteria in the HCDA rules and has been reviewed extensively by the HCDA staff.

Like many existing and future buildings in Kakaako, our 400-foot-tall project will be visible from the ocean and the mountain. But contrary to the claims by critics, the proposed tower will not block any view corridors.

Our plan is to construct a building that will reduce the resident exposure to the western sun, and conversely increase sunlight on our photovoltaic paneling.

The extensive energy savings will also come with a number of other firsts for Honolulu. The building will have nearly an acre of greenery on its roof, allowing residents to grow herbs and vegetables for their families. Water recycling systems will support the lush environment. On the ground floor, we will use water reclamation from air conditioning condensers to support water needs for a state-of-the-art car wash facility.

This will be a pedestrian-oriented urban center, with extensive setbacks from the streets, 35,000 square feet of open spaces and public pathways. Parking areas will have charging stations for electric vehicles.

Symphony Honolulu is a state-of-the-art green building that will stimulate the economy through hundreds of construction jobs and permanent positions at the car dealership and retail outlets. This project supports the vision to turn Kakaako into a community where one can live, work and play.