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High-rise Hawaiian Home Lands project could be first of many, but not everyone is on board

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High-rise Hawaiian Home Lands project could be first of many, but not everyone is on board


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Native Hawaiians are divided over the first-ever rental high-rise to be built by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands — exclusively for beneficiaries.

The $137 million project on 820 Isenberg St. is a redevelopment of the old Stadium Bowl-O-Drome property, which had remained unused since the bowling alley’s closure in 2004.

The 23-story high-rise will have street-level commercial space and 278 rental units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom townhouses. All rental units will be reserved for DHHL beneficiaries.

The project functions as a temporary housing solution for Native Hawaiians on the waiting list for a DHHL 99-year homestead lot.

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The only way we could really make or maximize the use of land was to build up.”

While living in the high-rise, Native Hawaiians will maintain their status on the waitlist.

The milestone project has sparked discourse at both the city and state level. A Honolulu City Council committee Wednesday endorsed the plan for final council approval.

Onlookers say as land runs scarce for traditional DHHL land plots, 820 Isenberg is the beginning of what could be a high-rise future for Native Hawaiian housing.

“While we are being very aggressive and doing the typical residential developments, especially on the Leeward Coast and coupled with some others in the urban area, it has been a real challenge,” said Kali Watson, director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

“The only way we could really make or maximize the use of land was to build up.”

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According to the DHHL, 14 out of 20 projects most recently approved by the Hawaiian Homestead Commission involve vertical construction, though that could be subject to change.

Of the 2,700 DHHL housing units slated to be constructed, 2,400 of them are vertical.

820 Isenberg is also a project spotlighted by Gov. Green’s housing emergency proclamation, designed to streamline housing construction, including on Hawaiian Home Lands.

There are some 29,000 applicants on the DHHL waitlist.

The emergency proclamation says Native Hawaiians, on average, spend 23 years on the waiting list; what’s more, Native Hawaiians make up 40% of the state’s houseless population.

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Paul Kema, who lives with his family in the Kalawahine Homestead in Punchbowl, was excited after hearing the conceptual plans of 820 Isenberg.

Referencing the landmark settlement that granted $328 million to DHHL beneficiaries who have spent decades on the waitlist, Kema says it’s time for new housing solutions for Native Hawaiians.

Other Native Hawaiian housing leaders alike commended the rental high-rise for providing alternatives, albeit temporary, to beneficiaries.

“With 20,000 — almost 30,000 — Hawaiians waiting, we have to be innovative,” said Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement CEO Kuhio Lewis.

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“You can’t just keep doing the same thing and hope for different outcomes.”

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If not enduring disproportionate housing burdens in their own backyard, Lewis warns that Native Hawaiians are increasingly being priced out of paradise.

The massive flight of natives and locals out of Hawaii, he says, was his impetus for hosting the 2023 Native Hawaiian convention in Las Vegas rather than Hawaii.

“If there’s an opportunity to go upwards in Honolulu and make something out of this parcel, why not? For me, it’s just making sure we approach it correctly,” said Lewis.

“So we don’t run over the work that our kupuna advocated for.”

Some beneficiaries, however, believe the new project fails to achieve the DHHL’s mission of developing land for Native Hawaiians.

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Puni Kekauoha, senior vice president of Kula No Na Poe Hawaii, a Native Hawaiian organization that serves Papakolea beneficiaries, maintains the high-rise project is a grave departure from the tradition of Hawaiian Home Lands.

“We had this granted on land — not on a condo, not on an apartment. I can’t even imagine deciding who to give as a successor to an apartment. I’m taken aback,” said Kekauoha, herself a Papakolea Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary.

Kekauoha added the 1920 Hawaiian Home Commission Act, which granted Native Hawaiian families land to attain self-determination, cannot be fulfilled by a rental high-rise unit.

Organization CEO CEO Adrienne Dillard agrees.

“When you are a renter, you lose the autonomy that you get as a homeowner. So there are other considerations when people will be in rentals that impact a Hawaiian way of life,” said Dillard.

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Longtime affordable housing advocate and beneficiary Blossom Feitera understands the necessity to have rental units as an option, but also believes it falls short of the legacy of DHHL.

“Rentals should never be the forever home for people, they should choose where they want to go and fulfill a dream if owning a home is that dream. If not, our people are leaving Hawaii for something better,” said Feitera.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands acknowledged that the smaller rental units are not conducive to the clientele of often multi-generational Native Hawaiian families, and will carry heightened cultural awareness to this development.

“We need to be sensitive because high-rise living doesn’t necessarily align with our cultural perspectives. There’s a lifestyle change—living in a condominium, you don’t have as much privacy, or have the open space benefits, the yards,” said Watson.

Meanwhile, those on both sides of the issue are watching the governor’s emergency proclamation for housing with caution optimism, especially in regards to creating housing for Native Hawaiians.

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“We will have a role in helping to support both sides — the ones that are concerned about the impacts on long-standing laws that protect our archaeological sites, our iwi kupuna,” said Lewis, on behalf of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

Before the pandemic, Kula No Na Poe Hawaii had worked closely with DHHL in the pre-development phase of 820 Isenberg, including the selection of the high-rise’s developers, Stanford Carr Development and Hawaiian Dredging.

Now, the organization urges the DHHL to do more so that the project can fully serve its beneficiaries. For example, they’d like the commercial space to showcase Hawaiian businesses.

In response to regulatory concerns, the DHHL said many of the 20 commission-approved projects are still undergoing environmental review, and two currently have issues with historic preservation.

Feitera similarly calls on the DHHL for further consultation with indigenous communities, specifically with waitlisted beneficiaries.

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“Right now, the community in general understands that there’s going to be an apartment,” Feitera said. “It’s going to be a high-rise — but, what else?”



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Hawaii

Hawaii surfer Landon McNamara wins the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational

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Hawaii surfer Landon McNamara wins the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational


WAIMEA BAY (HawaiiNewsNow) – It’s official: Landon McNamara has won the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

He received 135.8 points as well as the highest-scoring wave of the competition — a perfect score of 15 — which earned him the Best Wave Award.

“This is a childhood dream of mine, something I’ve been working at since being a little kid on the beach here, watching these events go down,” he said. “I don’t know what to feel right now. I’ve already cried 10 times.

“I’m grateful to Eddie,” McNamara said. “Both my heats, I had a turtle I was following. For real. … They say Eddie picks the winner, and I’m so grateful he picked me.”

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The accomplishment is even more fitting considering his father, Liam McNamara, is the contest director.

The top nine finishers were:

  1. Landon McNamara (HI, 2024 WINNER)
  2. Mason Ho (HI)
  3. Billy Kemper (HI)
  4. Jamie O’Brien (HI)
  5. Nic Lamb (CA)
  6. Luke Shepardson (HI, 2023 WINNER)
  7. Nathan Florence (HI)
  8. Kai Lenny (HI)
  9. Koa Rothman (HI)

Competitor Greg Long received the Aloha Spirit Award. “Participating in this event has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life,” he said.

THE EDDIE IS ON: View our complete coverage

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Oahu’s North Shore to witness the historic event Sunday.

Waves were 50 feet in face height, according to Liam McNamara.

“The conditions are amazing. There’s a strong offshore breeze right now,” McNamara told Hawaii News Now early Sunday morning. “We’re looking for an amazing day of competition. This is a historic day. We want to make sure we start it with a bang and we end with a bang.”

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This is the 11th time “The Eddie” has run in the last 40 years, and participation is by invitation only.

Previous Coverage:
For more information:
  • Rip Curl The Eddie Big Wave Invitational
  • TheEddieAikau.com



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Hawaii surfing competition 'The Eddie' braces for 50-foot waves Sunday | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather

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Hawaii surfing competition 'The Eddie' braces for 50-foot waves Sunday | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather


Hawaii surfing competition ‘The Eddie’ braces for 50-foot waves Sunday

The forecast for massive 50-foot waves in Hawaii prompted the organizers of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, the premier surfing event in the world, to schedule the event for Sunday. “The Eddie” competition requires consistent 40-foot or higher surf. If Sunday’s event goes on as planned, it’ll be only the 11th time it has happened since 1984.



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This Popular Hawaii Resort Has A New 3-Story Penthouse And Renovated Pools With Local Amenities

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This Popular Hawaii Resort Has A New 3-Story Penthouse And Renovated Pools With Local Amenities


When it comes to Waikiki’s luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, is one of the most beloved properties for frequent visitors to this popular corner of Hawaii. With all its spacious rooms boasting balconies with ocean views and kitchens to ensure a comfortable stay no matter how long your trip may be, it’s a true home away from home, with the added magic that comes with the brand’s phenomenal customer service. To make things better, the resort recently unveiled a collection of new suites and reimagined pools, providing guests an even more elevated experience than before.

Dubbed the Sky Suites, these sumptuous, multi-bedroom accommodations have become the pinnacle of luxury living in Waikiki. Encased in floor-to-ceiling windows, delivering sweeping panoramas of the neighborhood’s namesake beach and the beautiful blue Pacific at every turn, the vistas alone are worth every penny. But once you add in the modern furnishings, full kitchens with Miele appliances, the formal dining spaces, and pristine white marble bathrooms, you’ll never want to look back. To top it all off, they also come with exclusive perks, including roundtrip airport transfers, a dedicated VIP concierge, and a pre-stocked refrigerator with preferred beverages and snacks.

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Guests have the option between three- or four-bedroom Sky Suites. The former is a coveted corner unit that features what is arguably the resort’s best view of Diamond Head, along with a sleek, marble kitchen island that’s great for entertaining. The latter is the property’s largest, spanning nearly 3,000 square feet across two floors, and is the only four-bedroom suite in all of Waikiki. It also sports the resort’s biggest kitchen, making it particularly great for private chef dinners, and the double-height living room allows for plenty of natural light to filter in.

But the Ritz-Carlton’s crowning jewel, quite literally, is the Sky Penthouse. Occupying the top floors of the resort’s Diamond Head Tower, this three-story, two-bedroom suite soars 350 feet above Waikiki. The first level houses the living spaces, a kitchen with a wine fridge, one bedroom, and a small media room that also doubles as a great private reading nook. The second floor is entirely dedicated to the master bedroom, but it’s the rooftop that’s the real selling point. Touting one of the neighborhood’s highest infinity plunge pools, the furnished deck also features a hot tub and grill, and is particularly ideal for sundowners.

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You won’t need to book the Sky Penthouse for an incredible pool experience, though. The property offers its guests two infinity pools, one of which is an adults-only oasis. Both offer private cabanas, with the options at the family-friendly pool being larger, that come with a mini refrigerator stocked with local beverages and snacks. All guests can also expect a variety of thoughtful pool amenities, including sunscreen service and hourly snacks that pay homage to local favorites, like fresh pineapple dipped in li hing mui. The resort’s popular daily afternoon ritual of complimentary ice cream and sorbet is still available, and now includes an adult version with the addition of sparkling wine float. Quite frankly, there’s enough to keep you at the pool that you may never want to leave.



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