The City and County of Honolulu is taking yet another step towards the development of more affordable housing along the Skyline rail route.
The Department of Housing and Land Management, or DHLM, is seeking a development partner to transform a city-owned property in Kalihi into a "vibrant, transit-oriented affordable housing community," the city said in an announcement Monday. A request for qualifications was issued this week.
Located across from the future Mokauea Skyline station, the 2.25-acre site includes the old Dee Lite Bakery building at 1930 Dillingham Blvd. and an adjacent parcel at 1907 Eluwene St.
Kevin Auger, director designate of DHLM, told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions that the city acquired the property for $8.4 million in August 2019 "to support future affordable housing transit-oriented development."
"Kalihi is a working-class, transit-rich community facing acute housing affordability pressures," he says. "Kalihi’s TOD plan (2014) cites affordable housing as the community’s top priority, with strong demand projected for rental homes near transit. The neighborhood’s TOD redevelopment vision emphasizes pedestrian-friendly, mixed-income and culturally grounded development near Skyline stations — especially around Dillingham Boulevard and Mokauea station."
Auger says that proposals should emphasize affordability, transit integration and long-term stewardship of the property. Although the city isn't specifying a total number of units it would like to see, he says that a preliminary analysis indicates the site could accommodate more than 150 affordable units, subject to final lot size and project financing.
The chosen developer also will have to conduct "robust" community engagement throughout the planning and development process.
"Community engagement is central to our process," Auger says. "Once a development partner is selected, the developer will be required to undertake community outreach, consult with and provide updates to the local Neighborhood Board and City Council members, and conduct a public hearings as required by the City Charter. This approach ensures the community has multiple opportunities to learn about the project, share input and see how their feedback is shaping outcomes."
Proposals for the Kalihi property must be submitted by 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10. The full RFQ and more information can be found here.
A development schedule will be created with the selected developer and more timeline details will come after the selection is made.
This is the latest in the city's efforts to bring more affordable housing to the island. In fact, Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in Monday's announcement this is the seventh city-owned property brought to market through an RFQ in 2025.
Partnering with the development community to build housing on city-owned lands is one of the components of a strategic housing plan the city unveiled earlier this year. You can find the plan here.
Around the time the strategic plan was announced, Honolulu issued a request for qualifications for the redevelopment of four underutilized city-owned properties into affordable rental projects: 1615 Ala Wai Blvd., 436 Ena Road, 130 S. Beretania St.; and 1421 Pensacola St.
EAH Housing was recently chosen as the"preferred negotiating partner" for the redevelopment of 436 Ena Road and Centre Urban Real Estate as the "preferred negotiating partner" for the redevelopment of 1615 Ala Wai Blvd.
The city, which acquired 1615 Ala Wai through condemnation in January 2024, recently demolished the existing, dilapidated apartment building that once sat there.
In March, the city also issued an RFQ for the redevelopment of the Iwilei Center, which it acquired for $51.5 million in January 2024, and in June issued another RFQ seeking a partner to redevelop under-used city-owned land in Kapolei.
Auger says development partners have been selected for five of the seven projects and the city is now working with them to finalize development contracts and ground leases. The city's eighth RFQ is expected to be posted in September.
"Altogether, these RFQs represent more than 20 acres of city land moving into affordable housing production this year — a scale of activation that Honolulu has never seen before," he says.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
