Demolition is set to begin next week on property in Kalihi as the City and County of Honolulu continues efforts to bring more affordable housing to O‘ahu.
The Department of Housing and Land Management and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation — the public transit authority responsible for planning and building the rail system for the city — will start “coordinated demolition work” on city-owned properties that include the old Dee Lite Bakery at 1930 Dillingham Blvd. and 1907 Eluwene St.
The first phase of work, which includes interior activity followed by the removal of the building slab, foundation and an underground grease interceptor, will begin Monday, Dec. 15, the city said in an announcement Thursday.
Work will take place between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and is not expected to affect traffic on Dillingham, the city noted, adding that demolition is expected to take about two months.
According to the announcement, the site will remain secured with safety fencing and dust will be managed using water suppression. The city notes, too, that noise will be the most noticeable in the first month of work.
“DHLM and HART are aligning their demolition schedules at this location and the adjacent Mokauea (Kalihi) Skyline Station in order to reduce neighborhood disruptions and avoid multiple rounds of heavy-equipment mobilization,” the announcement reads. “HART will notify the surrounding residents and businesses to ensure the community is aware of the demolition schedule, anticipated impacts, and the coordination between the two agencies.”
The city acquired the 2.25-acre site for approximately $8.4 million in 2019 “as part of a long-term strategy to secure land for future affordable housing along the Dillingham corridor,” the announcement noted.
Its location across from the future Mokauea Skyline station positions the site “as one of the most strategically situated transit-oriented housing opportunities in the corridor,” the announcement continued. “Acquiring the properties ensured they would remain available for public-purpose redevelopment and supported the City’s long-term goals to increase housing opportunities in transit-rich, job-accessible neighborhoods.”
The city this summer issued a request for qualifications seeking a development partner to transform the Kalihi property into a"vibrant, transit-oriented affordable housing community,” it said at that time.
DHLM Director Kevin Auger told Aloha State Daily in August that proposals should emphasize affordability, transit integration and long-term stewardship of the property.
The city says that preparing the property now allows DHLM and the selected partner "to accelerate community consultation, planning and design of the project."
This is just one of the city's current efforts to bring more affordable housing to the island. 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.
Most recently, the city recently selected Kobayashi Group, a privately owned and managed real estate development and investment firm focused solely on Hawai‘i, as its preferred negotiating partner for the redevelopment of nearly 14 city-owned acres in Kapolei into an affordable, transit-oriented rental community.
Housing continues to be a challenge across the Islands. Hawai‘i will need an estimated 64,490 additional housing units by 2027 to meet demand, according to the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp.'s 2024 Hawai‘i Housing Planning study, which was published earlier this year.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
