OliverMcMillan to develop 400-unit mixed-use residential project in West Oahu

OliverMcMillan Inc., which has developed several residential condominium towers in Honolulu, has been chosen to develop a nearly 27-acre parcel in Kapolei in West Oahu into a 400-unit mixed-use residential project, the state said Thursday.

The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp.’s board of directors selected the San Diego-based developer, which is building the Symphony Honolulu condominium tower across from the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, as the lead developer for the planned 27-acre project within Villages of Kapolei, an 888-acre development that includes affordable housing.

The project is located at the entryway of the community at the corner of Fort Barrette Road and Farrington Highway.

“The Northwest Corner [of Kapolei] is next to the last undeveloped parcel in the Villages of Kapolei, and also the landmark parcel that will define the gateway as a gathering place for the community,” Craig Hirai, executive director of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp., said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with the OliverMcMillan development team to create a vibrant, mixed use urban village.”

More than half of the project will be priced for households with incomes of less than 140 percent of the area median income.

Proposed plans also include 154,000-square-feet of retail space, 6,300-square-feet of office space, community amenities and pocket parks.

“We have just begun our work in creating another special place in Kapolei,” Paul Buss, president of OliverMcMillan, said in a statement. “The very next step is getting feedback from the community and working to create the real vision of what this should be. We have assembled a great team to help us to gain and respond to input from our immediate neighbors and the remainder of the Kapolei community.”

Hunt Cos. Inc. and Urban Housing Communities LLC will develop the proposed affordable housing parcels.

SVA Architects Inc., formerly MVE Institutional Inc. is the lead architect for the proposed project. PBR Hawaii & Associates Inc. is the sustainable planning architect. The civil engineer is Community Planning & Engineering Inc.

In August 2013, the state released a request for proposals looking for developers for the 27-acre state-owned parcel.

The HHFDC is the primary agency charged with overseeing affordable-housing financing and development in Hawaii.

Duane Shimogawa Reporter – Pacific Business News