Proposed Ceded Land Settlement – Pros & Cons

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been offered 25 acres in Kakaʻako to settle back-rent claims to ceded lands but what is the potential value of these lands and are they worth it?

For more information on the ceded lands, see our story: What Are the Ceded Lands?

ʻO ka 25 ʻeka ʻāina ma Kakaʻako ke kumuwaiwai i hāpai ʻia aku nei e ke aupuni mokuʻāina no ka hoʻoili ʻia i ke Keʻena Kuleana Hawaiʻi i mea e hoʻoponopono ai i kekahi ʻai ʻē ʻāina lei aliʻi.

He ʻāina kēia ma kai o Kakaʻako me ka waiwai o ka $200 miliona.

Ke hāpai ʻia nei he ʻumi ʻāpana ʻāina e puni ana i ka Pāka ʻo Kakaʻako a me nā ʻāina a ke Kula Nui ʻo Hawaiʻi. Kekahi ʻāina ua kaʻawale a kekahi ua paʻa aku nei me nā hale kahiko e laʻa hoʻi me ka Fishermanʻs Wharf.

He kumuwaiwai nui ia ʻāina no OHA. E ʻike ʻia ana ka māhuahua maila o ia ʻāina me ke kūkulu ʻana o Nā Kula ʻo Kamehameha a me Howard Hughes.ʻO ia ka pōhaku kihi ma ka hoʻomohala iā Honolulu. Me kona pili i ka ʻaekai nei, ka ʻoihana malihini o Waikīkī a me ke kikowaena kālaiʻāina a pāʻoihana o Honolulu, wahi a kekahi, he kiʻina koʻikoʻi ka hoʻomōhala iā Kakaʻako i mea e lilo ai ʻo Honolulu kekahi o nā kūlanakauhale ʻoi loa a puni ka honua.

He nani kūlohelohe maoli nō ko Honolulu. Inā e kālele ʻia kēlā me ka hoʻolako pū i nā ʻoluʻolu o ke kūlanakauhale, ua hiki ke lilo kēia he wahi laha ʻole.

Eia naʻe, e like me nā haku ʻāina ʻē aʻe o Kakaʻako nei, ua kaupalena ʻia ʻo OHA e nā kānāwai kūkulu i paʻa mua e ke kaiāulu. He ālaina nō paha kēia ma ko OHA ʻimi ʻana e hoʻomōhala i ka ʻāina e like me ko lākou makemake.

Ke kālailai nei mākou i ke kūpono a me ka waiwai o ia ʻāina e ʻike inā ua like me ka waiwai i hoʻopuka mua ʻia e ke aupuni.

Inā pilikia ka ʻāina, akā mau nō ka ʻoluʻolu o ka ʻaelike, e hiki ana ke hoʻololi iki i ka ʻaelike.

Hiki iā OHA ke hōʻole i ka ʻaelike. Akā e alu like ana o OHA me ke kaiāulu, ko Kakaʻako a me ka ʻAhaʻōlelo a Kiaʻāina e ʻimi i ala hoʻoholomua no kākou a pau.

Pono e ʻāpono mua ʻia kēia ʻaelike e ka ʻAhaʻōlelo i kēia kau aʻe. A i kēlā ke ʻimi nei ʻo OHA i nā manaʻo a ka lehulehu. No ka ʻike hou aku e kele aku iā Oiwi.TV. ʻO wau no kēia ʻo Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi. Aloha.

25 acres in Kakaʻako is the State’s latest offer to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to settle back-rent claims to ceded lands.

“The proposal of course is some parcels in Kakaʻako makai whose value is nearly $200 million.”  

The proposal includes 10 parcels, near Kakaʻako Park and University of Hawaii property including vacant lots and properties like Fisherman’s Wharf.

“And these properties, I think, give the Office of Hawaiian Affairs an opportunity to get these lands. They’re valuable lands. I think they’re going to become more valuable over time because there’s going to be a lot of development across the street by Kamehameha Schools and Howard Hughes.”

“Kakaʻako can be a very material visible centerpiece for urban development in Honolulu.”

“Its waterfront location and proximity to Waikīkī and Downtown Honolulu give it potential, some say, to help make Honolulu a world-class city.”

“Honolulu has very important natural attributes that can be highlighted. And if highlighted in a way that matches all these natural attributes with all the urban amenities that people enjoy in cities, it can really create a unique identity.”

Like other landowners in the area OHA is subject to restrictions set by the community, which could prohibit OHA from maximizing the value of its property.

“Weʻre just doing our due diligence to see what the environmental condition of the property is, having some appraisals done to see if the appraised value that the State came up with is about the same.”

“If it comes out that thereʻs some problems with the lands, but it still looks like a good deal, then maybe we can tweak the deal a little bit to make it work.”

“So there is the flexibility that if something goes wrong that OHA can walk away from the table. But OHAʻs intent is to work closely with the community, stakeholders in the Kakaʻako area, as well as the State Legislature and the Governor to make this work for everyone.”

The deal needs to be approved by the Legislature. Until then, OHA is seeking public input as it moves forward. Visit Oiwi.TV for more information.