After a drawn-out process, the Hawaii Community Development Authority yesterday approved the Ward neighborhood master plan.

The application, submitted by General Growth Properties affiliate Victoria Ward Ltd., seeks to transform the 60 acres it owns at Ward into an urban village with more than 4,000 more residences in the form of mid- to high-rises.

As part of the vision over a 20-plus-year horizon, the developer would demolish most existing buildings, including Ward Farmers Market and Ward Warehouse, to build a grand plaza opening up to Kewalo harbor.

The Kakaako skyline would also be transformed to include several high-rises up to 400 feet tall along Ala Moana.

  HCDA's board yesterday approved the plan, with a number of conditions. Eight members voted in support of the plan, one opposed it and four were absent. 

Board member Dexter Okada cast the lone opposition vote.

The approval comes after numerous community meetings, a well-attended public hearing, and a recent settlement over a contested case hearing by a native Hawaiian descendant.

“;We're very pleased,”; said Jan Yokota, vice president of development for General Growth in Hawaii. “;We've been working on this master plan for two years and we've had a lot of community input.”;

General Growth first submitted its application in April, but HCDA did not deem it complete until July 16. HCDA had a deadline of Feb. 1 to make its decision.

HCDA's approval of the master plan sets height and density limits, as well as affordable housing, public facilities, and open space requirements.

The approval is good for a 15-year period after it is issued, but the developer can also request a change to the rules to extend it, according to HCDA executive developer Anthony Ching.

But before breaking ground on a specific project for the master plan, General Growth would still need to get a development permit from HCDA. Before its first permit application, it will also need to submit a traffic study, and historic building and archeological inventory survey.

General Growth now needs to draw up a master plan development agreement with the state agency within the next two years.

Testimony in support of the project came from the heads of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Enterprise Honolulu, Land Use Research Foundation and Kaneohe Ranch Co.

    General Growth  

 

 

Kakaako Authority Approved Master Plan For General Growth Properties

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Former Hilton executive Peter Schall also testified in strong support of the master plan, saying it would revitalize the area, improve the mauka-to-makai views, and the aging properties and crumbling infrastructure. Supporters said it was better to have a master plan than to take a piecemeal approach to development.

Written testimony in opposition to the project, however, was submitted by Momi Cazimero, developer Marshall Hung, several state senators and House Speaker Calvin Say.

Hawaii's Thousand Friends, a nonprofit group, expressed concerns about General Growth's mounting debt problems and the need for an environmental review before the approval.

“;You just handed General Growth Properties great wealth,”; said Donna Wong, executive director of Thousand Friends. “;As everyone knows, properties that have approvals can go on forever and increases the value of that property.”;

General Growth has said its first phase, which includes a central plaza larger than two football fields, could commence in a few years.

Since filing the application, however, General Growth has since faced bankruptcy, been hit with contractor lawsuits over liens for its projects - and put its Ward properties up for sale.

Yokota referred questions about the company's finances to the corporate office in Chicago.

Modifications to the existing rules sought by the developer - including higher podiums for the high-rises - were not approved along with the master plan by the board yesterday.