One by one, they all came out - both those who were for and against the Ward Neighborhood Master Plan.

Whether it was small business owners on Queen Street, boat slip tenants at Kewalo Basin or current high-rise residents, many people had concerns to air at the public hearing Wednesday evening.

The Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency overseeing the redevelopment of Kakaako, has until Feb. 1 to make a decision on the Ward plan.

Its options: To approve, disapprove or approve the plan with conditions. If HCDA makes no decision, then the master plan is automatically approved.

Even if the master plan is approved, General Growth would still need to get a development permit for each building it plans to construct from the agency.

More than 250 people submitted comments to HCDA prior to Wednesday's public hearing, via pre-stamped mailers, the Web site and a hotline.

Well over 200 people attended, and at least 50 signed up to testify at the hearing, which lasted more than three hours.

Community members were both for and against General Growth's master plan, which would transform the 60-acre Ward neighborhood into a mixed-use urban village with open plazas, more retail and office spaces, and up to 4,300 more residential units.

The most controversial part of the plan, so far, is the proposal to add up to 20 more residential towers to the neighborhood in a mix of mid- and high-rises, some of which would be along Ala Moana Boulevard.

Those who supported the plan, including Kyle Chock, executive director of Pacific Resource Partnership representing Hawaii's union carpenters, said it would bring much-needed jobs.

Philip Johnson, a Hokua resident, said he was for the plan, and that he believes General Growth will do a good job while taking public concerns into account. Johnson, who is retired from the jewelry business, said he enjoys walking to shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.

General Growth estimated a total of 33,570 jobs would be created, and $650 million generated in tax revenues during construction.

Jan Yokota, General Growth's vice president of development, said 20 percent of the residential units - or about 860 units - would be set aside for “;reserved”; housing, HCDA's term for homes priced more moderately.

In response to concerns, General Growth has also amended the plans to include 700,000 square feet of industrial space.

But it seems as if General Growth is up against a swell of opposition from various community groups, many of which have protested redevelopment plans by HCDA at one time or another.

A new group calling itself the Kakaako Coalition held a rally prior to Wednesday's public hearing, donning red T-shirts, and wielding signs calling for an environmental impact study.

Jim Frierson, spokesman for the group, said it was concerned about the development's impact on traffic congestion, the potential relocation of longtime Kakaako businesses as well as the loss of the community's character.

Frierson, also the owner of Island Pool & Spa Supply, said if he were forced to move to another location outside of town, it would be harder to serve his customers.

Among those joining the group were small business owners from Queen Street that protested HCDA's plans to improve the street several years ago (which was eventually canceled), as well as Kewalo Ocean Activities, a group of boat tenants that has filed suit against the agency in an attempt to stop it from taking over management of Kewalo Basin.

Cliff Garcia, owner of longtime business Tropical Lamp & Shade said looking at the master plan, he was alarmed to see his Quonset hut at 977 Queen St. is not on the map.

The Friends of Kewalo Basin Park Association, representing surfers and park users, which played an instrumental part in protesting Alexander & Baldwin's redevelopment plans for Kakaako waterfront a few years ago, also spoke out against the plan without an environmental study.

Alan Murakami from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp., testified that General Growth should conduct a complete archaeological survey to identify burials before starting construction to avoid another mishap like the one that occurred last year.

General Growth's redevelopment of a 6-acre site anchored by Whole Foods Market at Ward was delayed numerous times due to unexpected Native Hawaiian burials found there.

The larger question looming over the master plan, however, is whether General Growth will still be able to move forward with the project, given recent news of the corporation's downgraded credit rating and mounting debts.

Yokota reassured the public that General Growth that a slow economy presented the perfect opportunity to pursue the long-term plan.