A plan to eventually bring up to 900 affordable housing units to North Kapolei as part of one overall mixed-use development is being considered.
Proposed by Ikenakea Development and The Michaels Organization, Leiwili Kapolei, near Kapolei Shopping Center, would see a range of affordable one- to three-bedroom units slated for tenants from a variety of income levels.
That includes units for extremely low-income households — those earning 30% of area median income, or $41,750 annually for a four- person family — up to 140% AMI, or $168,150 a year for a family of four, according to state data.
“It will be rental and for-sale,” developer Christopher Flaherty told the City Council’s Committee on Housing, Sustainability and Health during a recent informational briefing. “There’s also about 95,000 square feet of versatile commercial space included in this development.”
The L-shaped project site is bounded by Farrington Highway to the west, Fort Barrette Road to the south, Kealanani Avenue to the north and the Villages of Kapolei to the east, according to developer plans.
“It’s the last remaining property in the Villages of Kapolei master-planned community,” Flaherty said.
This will be a four-phase project — its first phase offering 242 affordable units “all catering to 60% AMI and below,” he said.
Future phases could include 484 affordable units — meant for 100% to 140% AMI rental tenants — as well as 72 affordable for-sale units, he said.
Leiwili Kapolei will feature mixed-use retail on the project’s ground floor with housing above, he added.
According to Flaherty, his Ikenakea firm anticipates the tax-credit project — using 201H exemptions for affordable housing via the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. — will obtain its city-issued building permits by April 2027 “and commence construction in May of 2027,” he said, “and completion and lease-up in November of 2028.”
Additionally, he said findings of the project’s completed traffic impact report found the development “did not greatly influence the traffic that was anticipated” in that area.
“There will be sufficient on-site parking as planned to accommodate both the residential and commercial uses,” he said. “The development proposes large landscape connected green areas and open spaces.”
He added that the project, “we believe, in consultation with the Department of Education, will be a critical housing needed to accommodate teachers in the area as well.”
At the Sept. 25 meeting, Council member Matt Weyer, housing committee chair, commented on the size of the proposed development, which will ultimately need Council approval.
“Nine hundred units in total is pretty massive for one project,” he said. “And to see the scale and the range of affordability … really speaks to what I think we’ve been talking about as a (Council).”
Weyer also asked the developer whether “the conversation in the community has been pretty positive.”
“I think with any new project, especially out there — that’s the last piece; it’s been open space for a long time — the community has actually been very engaging with us,” Flaherty said. “I think obviously, one of the concerns we keep hearing is traffic, and then obviously water, infrastructure, and we’ve been addressing those.”
He said that at the request of HFFDC, the Leiwili Kapolei project “is pushing to get as much density as we can there.”
Council member Val Okimoto questioned the project’s traffic impacts near busy Farrington Highway as well as Fort Barrette Road and Kealanani Avenue.
“Knowing that this is an area that is going to be impacted with traffic, what kind of modifications have you placed in your planning and development to address that?” she asked.
Flaherty said when his firm designed the project, “we wanted to make sure there was accessibility on all three of those roads.”
“I think Fort Barrette has been the major concern,” he added. “And one of the concerns that we heard most recently, that is outside of our scope of responsibility and work … is the Makakilo entrance, which is further mauka of our property.”
He said the project’s plans moved “the entrances more makai” on Fort Barrette Road to “ease the pressure” on nearby traffic intersections.
“Traffic there has been an issue, and we see it,” he added.
But Okimoto said, “I know you talked about broad statements that you’re going to do (something), but how will this actually impact the traffic?”
To that, Flaherty said, “I believe the larger issue is one I can’t solve: I can’t solve the Makakilo exit, and I think that a lot of the stakeholders are recognizing that’s outside (the) purview of our development.”
“That was present before we even planned our development, and I think a lot of the reports show we’re not impacting it to the extent (that’s) perceived,” Flaherty said. “It’s an unfortunate, inherent challenge … but it’s outside of our purview.”
Still, Okimoto said she believed this sort of project will increase traffic.
“I think any time you develop and you create units, it’s going to have impacts on the roads,” she concluded.
