Hawaii Begins Construction on Major Kalihi Housing Project

Work officially began on Thursday at the Mayor Wright Homes site in Honolulu. State officials and local leaders gathered for a ceremony to mark the start of the first phase of construction. This marks the beginning of the largest public housing redevelopment in the state's history.

The project will transform a 15-acre lot in the Kalihi-Palama neighborhood. The site is located near downtown, bounded by King Street, Liliha Street, and Vineyard Boulevard. Developers are replacing a complex that has stood for nearly 75 years. The new development aims to serve a broader range of income levels.

Hakim Ouansafi, the executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, emphasized the symbolic weight of the event. He stated that the ceremony was about more than just digging the first hole. "It's not simply about breaking ground. It is about breaking barriers," he said. He added that the state needs new approaches to solve future housing challenges rather than relying on old methods.

The plans call for more than 2,400 new rental homes. These units will range from studios to five-bedroom apartments. The design includes public housing units, condominiums for sale, and commercial space. All of these elements will be housed within ten towers. This represents a seven-fold increase in the number of homes compared to the current complex.

Income restrictions are a key part of the new design. More than half of the units are reserved for tenants earning less than 80% of the area median income. Later phases will open to households earning up to 100% of that figure. For a family of four, this threshold is roughly $150,000 a year. Current residents displaced by the construction are being relocated. They will have priority to return to their new homes.

Governor Josh Green described the project as a central pillar of the state's housing strategy. "Housing provides health," he noted. He explained that stable housing allows people to focus on education, food security, and medical care. Moe Mohanna, president of Highridge Costa Development Company, praised the state for tackling a project of this scale. He described the effort as building a legacy for the future.

Ouansafi also spoke about the quality of life for residents. He said people deserve safe and modern homes in communities where poverty is not concentrated. "Public housing should never mean second class housing," he stated. The development will include four acres of public parks and recreational space. The site is designed to be within walking distance of the planned Iwilei rail station.

The first phase, known as Phase 1A, has an estimated cost of $333 million. The state previously estimated the full project at $1.3 billion in 2017. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi linked the project to the upcoming Skyline rail line. He called the combination of housing and transit historic and unprecedented. The first building is scheduled to open in 2029. The full redevelopment is expected to take 15 years to complete.