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<title>National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, Sep. 15</title>

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National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, Sep. 15

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Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A former office building, located a short distance from Ala Moana Center, has been transformed — it now offers dozens of affordable rentals in Honolulu's urban core. 

JL Capital on Thursday celebrated the completion of Amana Lofts, an adaptive reuse project that turned what was once a five-story office building at 765 Amana St. into 64 affordable rentals. A dedication and blessing ceremony marked the end of the project.

The developer retained the building's existing concrete structure, but nearly everything else — including plumbing and electrical systems, windows, interior walls and finishes — were replaced or newly constructed, an announcement from JL Capital noted. 

BKF & Associates was the project architect and Island Structural Contracting was the general contractor.

Amana Lofts includes 32 studios, 20 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom residences, all of which are reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income. Income limits vary depending on household size; you can find the current income limits for the City and County of Honolulu 

Units span from 289 to 561 square feet, and include large windows, ceiling heights of more than 10 feet and appliances that include a refrigerator, range/oven, built-in microwave and garbage disposal, the announcement notes. Meanwhile, the building itself has a secured lobby, elevator, on-site laundry facilities, trash chutes on each floor, a bike rack and car share.

$1,875 to $2,014 for studios; $1,995 to $2,142 for one-bedroom residences; and $2,475 to $2,536 for two-bedroom residences, according to the announcement, which noted, too, that electricity, cable and internet are additional, and limited covered parking is available for rent.

“Amana Lofts demonstrates that there are creative ways to add housing in Honolulu without always starting from the ground up,” 

 said in the announcement. “We hope this project can serve as an example of how existing buildings can be reimagined to help address our community’s housing needs.”

According to the developer, affordable rental units will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Each application will be time-stamped when the developer or its agent receives the fully completed form. Applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility, and applications from qualified households will be submitted, in the order received, to the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting for review and approval.

Lee told Aloha State Daily following the blessing ceremony Thursday that the company acquired the property in 2019 for close to $9 million with a conversion in mind.

"When we bought this property, it was always intended to do a conversion," he says. "Just given the location, we love the location, and we just saw a lot of potential in this property. So from the time we bought it, we always intended to turn this into [an] affordable rental project."

[{"type":"text","text":"Location is important."}]

“Where we build housing matters,” Lee said in the announcement. “Ala Moana is vibrant, accessible and connected. Creating affordable homes here gives residents the opportunity to live closer to jobs, transportation and the things they need every day. We believe that is an important part of addressing Honolulu’s housing needs.”

Lee told ASD that the total cost of the project, including the purchase price, was roughly $25 million.

JL Capital, a real estate and private equity firm founded in 2017, has completed or initiated a number of major projects in Honolulu's Ala Moana neighborhood and along the Kapi‘olani corridor in recent years.

, a $507 million mixed-use twin tower condominium and hotel at 1388 Kapi‘olani Blvd. 

Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, a Marriott brand

 several other contiguous properties along Kapi‘olani Boulevard for a combined price of $36 million last fall.

Most recently, JL Capital announced that demolition preparation activities at the future site of its newest development, 

, located at 1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd., are expected to begin in October, following the relocation of Central Pacific Bank to the nearby Pan Am Building. 

The developers also have recently introduced new pricing on a number of residences. You can read 

The planned 39-story Muse Honolulu was designed by architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and local partner Benjamin Woo Architects. 

Muse Honolulu will include 315 residences — a mix of penthouses, tower residences, urban lofts and two-story townhomes — and amenities across three levels.

Amana lofts studio 091026

<title>JL Capital completes Ala Moana affordable housing project</title>

Amana Lofts, an adaptive reuse project in Honolulu's urban core, has transformed a former five-story office building into 64 rental units.

JL Capital completes Ala Moana affordable housing project

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

The trial of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and her alleged associates in a criminal conspiracy won’t be happening anytime soon.

, the corruption trial of Luke and four others — lobbyist Tobi Solidum, former state Rep. Ryan Yamane, state Airports Administrator Ford Fuchigami and former Public Utilities Commission chair Leodoloff Asuncion Jr. — was scheduled to begin on Sept. 28, after four of the five defendants, excluding Solidum, pled not guilty.

But on Friday, that trial was pushed back a year, after attorneys for multiple defendants requested additional time to prepare.

Back on Aug. 6, Yamane’s attorney William Harrison filed a motion to continue the trial on a later date, as the discovery phase — in which both sides prepare witnesses and evidence to be presented at trial — had not yet begun and the breadth of the case made it exceedingly unlikely that the process could be completed on schedule.

Other attorneys, including Fuchigami’s lawyer Eric Seitz and Luke’s lawyer Richard Sing, co-signed Harrison’s motion.

At a hearing Friday, attorneys proposed that the trial be delayed by a year or more, suggesting varying dates between June and October of 2027. Prosecutor and Deputy Attorney General David Van Acker did not protest, although Judge Paul B. K. Wong did not land on a specific date Friday; an exact date will be determined at a scheduling conference next Wednesday.

By Wednesday, Fuchigami will also need to decide whether to keep Seitz as his attorney. Van Acker filed a motion in August arguing that Seitz has a conflict of interest in the case, having previously represented state Department of Health Deputy Director Cathy Ross, who will be a witness for the prosecution in the case.

Van Acker said Friday that Ross is not a minor figure in the case, having been the last person to meet with Solidum before his fateful 2022 

 with Luke and former Hawai‘i Rep. Ty Cullen at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Ala Moana. That meeting saw Solidum and his stepdaughter reportedly offer Luke two $5,000 checks.

Van Acker’s motion states that Seitz represented Ross during the Attorney General’s public corruption investigation earlier this year, and that Ross possessed “text communications that were material to [the] investigation.”

On July 24, the day an O‘ahu grand jury indicted Luke, Fuchigami, and the rest, Seitz reportedly went with Ross into the grand jury room. Later that same day, Van Acker’s motion claims, Fuchigami contacted Seitz for assistance with posting bail.

Van Acker told Judge Wong Friday that the appearance of a conflict of interest will severely compromise Seitz’s ability to represent Fuchigami. While Van Acker said he intends to get convictions for the defendants, he added that the appearance of impropriety during such a high-profile case should be avoided at all costs.

Nonetheless, Fuchigami repeatedly told Wong that he wants to retain Seitz as his attorney, even though Wong noted that Seitz will be obligated to keep Ross’ confidentiality, and may not be able to effectively cross-examine her at trial.

Wong said that legal precedent suggests that Fuchigami can waive his right to a conflict-free lawyer if he chooses. But Fuchigami didn’t choose Friday; Wong allowed him to consider his options and to make his decision on Wednesday.

Lukeco

<title>Luke corruption trial pushed to 2027</title>

Trial of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and her alleged associates blows past previous September date.

Luke corruption trial pushed to 2027

Pritchett photo 300 dpi square

John Pritchett

Cartoons

Nago boot

<title>Pritchett Cartoon: Supreme Court rules on basket case</title>

Pritchett Cartoon: Supreme Court rules on basket case

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Known for its hand-crafted xiao long bao, 

The business, which just opened by Shabuya in Ala Moana Center, has 14 locations in cities like Bellevue, Tacoma, San Francisco and more. The eatery offers authentic Taiwanese cuisine and soup dumplings, according to owner Brandon Ting.

“We started this restaurant’s first location in Bellevue, Washington,” he explains. “We brought the former executive chef of W Hotel Taipei from Taiwan to America; we created this menu together. We want to bring the most authentic, classic xiao long bao experience to Hawaiʻi; we are very excited to be on this island and to serve so many customers here.”

The Honolulu store opened for its friends and family event on Friday, and was soft opened over the weekend. The eatery can seat about 140 individuals.

Customers can make reservations for dine-in via 

“We encourage people to make reservations; we will occasionally accept walk-ins,” he says.

Most xiao long bao orders include six pieces. Each dumpling is folded by hand and steamed fresh to order, according to Ting. The wrappers are delicate, but designed to contain the filling and soup broth.

“The amount of soup inside is a very important standards that we value for our dumplings,” Ting says. “We always tell our customers not to bite them the regular way. If you do, the inside has a lot of soup, and you’ll squeeze it all out.”

Ting recommends that customers let the dumplings cool down, then “eat the entire dumpling in one bite” to enjoy the dumpling exterior and soup together. 

Ting explains that chef Peter Wang — former executive chef at W Hotel Taipei — helped establish the standards, recipes and techniques for Supreme Dumplings. Supreme Dumplings chef Norman Lu, the former head chef of Din Tai Fung’s original central kitchen, adds his expertise to the culinary team.

“Great xiao long bao is a game of millimeters and grams,” Lu states. “Each Supreme Dumplings xiao long bao weighs exactly 27 grams — 6 grams of wrapper, 11 grams of soup, and 10 grams of filling. Achieving that balance consistently requires tremendous discipline and craftsmanship.”

The Supreme pork xiao long bao ($13) is the eatery’s signature dish. Lu explains that choosing high-quality ingredients was essential.

“We carefully select a premium pork specifically chosen for its ideal fat ratio and fiber structure,” he states. “That’s what allows the filling to remain juicy without feeling greasy, while delivering a clean, natural pork flavor. We use premium ingredients throughout our kitchen, and even our seasonings are made from real ingredients, rather than additives." 

The Honolulu menu includes options like Szechuan spicy pork xiao long bao ($12), shrimp and pork xiao long bao ($14), black truffle and chicken xiao long bao ($19) and wagyu beef xiao long bao ($16). If you want a little bit of everything, go for the signature XLB assortment ($20), which includes spicy pork, chicken, wagyu, black truffle and crab fillings.

The menu also features Taiwanese favorites, including spicy pork wontons ($10) and Taiwanese chicken cold noodles ($13). Customer favorites include stir-fried string beans with garlic ($18), pork chop fried rice ($19), mini pan-fried pork dumplings ($15) and Supreme tan tan noodles ($15.50).

Customers can also look forward to a Hawaiʻi-exclusive dish that’s coming soon. The golden pineapple fried rice and a variety of Island-inspired cocktails will be added to the menu.

Desserts include sweet taro ($10.50), chocolate melt ($11) and matcha lava xiao long bao ($12). The latter features a matcha and white chocolate filling.

Supreme Dumplings Honolulu is currently open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are subject to change.

“This is a place where people genuinely appreciate great food, family-style dining and experiences worth sharing,” Ting states. “We look forward to creating moments of joy for local residents and visitors alike.”

Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Supreme Dumplings wagyu dumplings

<title>Supreme Dumplings is now open in Ala Moana Center</title>

The business, which originated in Washington, specializes in handmade xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. Dumplings are folded by hand and are steamed fresh to order; customers can choose from fillings like pork, wagyu beef, truffle and chicken and more. Customers can currently make reservations via Yelp.

Supreme Dumplings is now open in Ala Moana Center

Talk about a grrrr-eat start to 2025 for 

. The boba business opened its third location in Waikiki on Jan. 4. The shop is located on Kuhio Avenue, close to Marugame Udon and across of International Market Place.

The business is known for its original black sugar boba tea with cream mousse and unique “tiger stripe” designs. This location is designed for grab and go, with a few tables out front.

The menu here is the same as those at the other two locations. The black sugar boba and pearl milk with cream mousse ($5.97) continues to be the signature drink. Other popular teas include black sugar boba with taro and taro pudding milk with cream ($6.43) — made with real chunks of taro — and strawberry mochi milk with cream mousse and mango jelly ($8.50). My personal favorite is the black sugar boba with chocolate malt milk with cream ($6.43). It’s basically like a creamy chocolate milk with boba.

New drinks include strawberry matcha latte and pineapple tea (available in oolong or green tea). Both drinks cost $6.25 plus tax.

Next month, customers can look forward to a new beverage — boba crème brulee with cream mousse.

National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, Sep. 15

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