Varona Village
Varona Village in ʻEwa Beach was acquired by the city in the 1990s following the closure of the Oʻahu Sugar Company. Three decades ago, the city promised the existing plantation workers at the time (called “Tenants of Record”) that they would be offered the opportunity to purchase the homes they were renting.
It has taken 30 years to begin to fulfill this promise, however, the city has entered into a public-private partnership with a private developer to redevelop Varona Village in two phases and expects to finalize an agreement of sale with the private developers – a partnership between Savio Group and Habitat for Humanity – by the end of 2023 to start phase I.
Upon closing the agreement of sale, the private developer will begin phase I to repair and renovate the existing 46 homes so that they can be offered for sale to the Tenants of Record. Phase II will involve new construction as well as infrastructure development to provide up to 87 additional homes for sale to former residents and their families. This represents a monumental effort by DLM and the city’s Corporation Counsel to get to the point of fulfilling a 30-year-old promise to these Tenants of Record and their families out in ‘Ewa Village.