
HONOLULU — The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Land Management (DLM) is pleased to announce the redevelopment of the long-vacant property at 1615 Ala Wai Blvd. The City acquired the property through condemnation in January 2024, addressing decades of concerns from the community. Built in 1949, the structure has stood empty for over 20 years and has been the subject of ongoing complaints regarding overgrowth, litter, graffiti, structural deterioration, trespassing, and other nuisance activities.
Demolition is Scheduled to Begin in February 2025
To eliminate these public safety concerns and prepare the site for redevelopment, the City has contracted R.H.S. Lee, Inc., a highly experienced demolition contractor, to safely demolish the existing structure. Preparatory assessments will commence in mid-January 2025, with demolition activities slated to begin mid-February. The City anticipates demolition will be completed by the end of March 2025.
The City and R.H.S. Lee, Inc. will take all necessary measures to minimize disruption to the surrounding neighborhood during the demolition process. These measures include:
- Installing dust screens to mitigate dust and debris.
- Implementing traffic management plans to reduce neighborhood disruptions.
- Utilizing the parking lot behind the building for heavy machinery, with access provided via the shared road with Hawaiiana Gardens Apartments.
“Creating housing solutions to satisfy a broad range of residents and families is complex, requires innovative thinking, and relies on strong partnerships within the community,” said Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters. “The Honolulu City Council is committed to fostering the development of flexible, equitable, and affordable housing solutions that thoughtfully address the needs of our kama‘āina. This property’s redevelopment- a long-standing eyesore, nuisance, and threat to public safety – represents a crucial turning point. It signals that we, along with business and community leaders across the state, must take strong and decisive action on housing to benefit everyone in our community. I look forward to seeing more of these important land acquisitions and partnerships with developers to create the right mix of housing inventory both within my district and across O‘ahu.”
The City is committed to maintaining transparency throughout this process and will provide regular updates to the Neighborhood Board and other stakeholders to ensure the community remains informed of progress.
More Exciting Opportunities Coming
“Redevelopment of 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard is just one of many exciting, affordable housing projects coming down the pipeline,” said Cat Taschner, Director of the Department of Land Management. Later this month, DLM will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify potential development partners for 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard and three (3) other City-owned assets. This is the City’s first portfolio solicitation and represents the Blangiardi Administration’s strategic focus on innovative solutions to address the critical need for affordable housing in Honolulu.
Throughout 2025, DLM will issue additional solicitations seeking development partners for other underutilized City-owned properties, which can support the development of thousands of new units of affordable housing, all at no additional cost to the City or taxpayers.
Community members with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Land Management, at (808) 768-4277.
—PAU—