The owner of Ward Centers received approval Wednesday to build its sixth residential tower under a master plan calling for up to 22 towers on 60 acres in Kakaako.

Howard Hughes Corp. received approval in a 5-1 vote from the board of the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency regulating development in Kakaako.

The tower approved will be 38 stories with 466 market-priced condominium units connected to a roughly 55,000-square-foot Whole Foods store at the mauka-Ewa corner of Queen and Kamakee streets behind the movie theaters at Ward Centers.

Hughes Corp. anticipates starting construction on the estimated $390 million project in the second half of this year. Completion of the tower and opening the Whole Foods store is expected in 2018.