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Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

Real Estate

Efforts to bring a 127-unit affordable housing project to ‘Ewa Beach are moving forward.

Kaleimaʻo Village — West Loch Apartments will be located at 91-1666 Renton Road, on a 3.7-acre lot owned by the City and County of Honolulu.

In February, Honolulu's Office of Housing released a new, three-year 

. At that time, city officials said the plan provides a roadmap that outlines actions the city will take to facilitate the production of new housing on O‘ahu.

Catherine Taschner, Department of Land Management director designate, said in an emailed response to questions from Aloha State Daily, that Kaleimaʻo Village is "a great example of how we're putting the city's Strategic Housing Plan into action."

"One of the key priorities in the plan is to activate underutilized public land to build deeply affordable homes, and this project does exactly that," she says. "It's being developed on city-owned land through a long-term lease, which helps lower costs and speed up delivery. It also aligns with our commitment to equitable geographic distribution — making sure affordable housing isn't concentrated in one area, but available across the island."

The project is being developed through a public-private partnership with Komohale West Loch LLC, a joint venture between Stanford Carr Development and Standard Communities. According to the announcement, the Honolulu City Council recently approved a 75-year ground lease for the site.

Taschner says these types of public-private partnerships are "absolutely essential" in the city's efforts to meet housing demands.

"The city has tools — like land, zoning and financing programs — but we need private partners to bring in the investment, the development, the know-how, and the ability to move quickly and efficiently," she said.

According to a recent announcement from the city, the project will be comprised of seven three-story residential buildings with 28 one-bedroom, 87 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units around a single-level community facility. The community center will have a meeting space, laundry facility, administrative office and mailboxes, and there will be 137 parking stalls and 64 bicycle stalls, the announcement noted.

All units will be reserved for residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income, the city says, noting that this includes "single-person households earning up to $58,000 per year, and families of four earning up to $75,000 per year."

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in the announcement that the project "specifically targets income ranges that include many of O‘ahu's essential workforce." That includes food service employees, childcare providers, maintenance staff, health care support workers and transportation personnel, he said.

Although the project is still in the development phase, Taschner says they're nearing a "major milestone" with the financing. The total cost of the project has not been made public yet, she said, but the city has committed to some $30 million in private activity bonds to help finance it.

"That funding plays a huge role in keeping the project affordable and financially feasible — especially in today's market."

According to Taschner, the city revived its PAB program in 2021 after a 23-year hiatus. She explained that PABs are usually paired with 

, a federal program for financing affordable rental housing.

"Together, these tools reduce the amount of traditional debt a developer needs to take on, which lowers the overall cost of building the project," she explained. "That makes it possible to offer units at more affordable rents."

Taschner say 119 of the units will be reserved for households earning up to 60% of the AMI, while seven are set aside for families earning as little as 30% AMI, which she says is "crucial for those living paycheck to paycheck or struggling to stay housed."

The affordability and availability of housing continue to be frequent discussions — on O‘ahu as well as Neighbor Islands.

Blangiardi spoke at length about housing and homeless on O‘ahu during his 

 on March 18. Affordable housing also was addressed by Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. and Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami during their individual 

Honolulu also recently announced plans to move forward with the 

, issuing earlier this month a request for qualifications for that project. The city said at that time the redevelopment is a "key component of Honolulu's transit-oriented development initiative, leveraging the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation's Skyline rail system to create high-density, mixed-use communities with accessible housing, economic opportunities and multimodal transportation options."

 the former First Hawaiian Bank building at 445 N. King St. for $8.4 million and in January 2024 it acquired the Iwilei Center for $51.5 million.

The recently unveiled housing plan, which can be 

, says these acquisitions, which total nearly five acres of land, "will form the catalyst of its redevelopment and revitalization efforts around the Kūwili Rail Station in Iwilei, consistent with the Downtown TOD Neighborhood Plan."

A list of the city's affordable housing projects in development can be 

[{"text":"In the mean time, though, home prices continue to rise on O‘ahu.","type":"text"}]

The median sale price of single-family home resales on O‘ahu hit a record high of $1,185,000 in February, according to the latest statistics from the Honolulu Board of Realtors.

Trevor Benn, president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors, said earlier this month, however, that fluctuations in monthly median figures can be more volatile since it represents a small sample of sales and that the number of home sales at different price points vary from month-to-month. The median prices of condominiums, however, declined year-over-year in February. Read 

House key istock photo 032825

<title>Honolulu looks to add more affordable housing in ‘Ewa Beach | Aloha State Daily</title>

Although the project is still in the development phase, city officials say they're nearing a "major milestone" with the financing.

Honolulu looks to add more affordable housing in ‘Ewa Beach

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

a singer, songwriter and ʻukulele virtuoso based on O’ahu, joined Foumai at the Hawai

i Symphony Orchestra’s office in Kaimukī to run through the timing of the music he wrote for the orchestra, which joins her on stage next month. Taimane and the orchestra will perform together on Saturday, April 5, at the Hawai’i Theatre.

. In 2023, she received the same award, again. In the next few months, Taimane has concerts in Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands.

For concerts like the upcoming one between Taimane and the orchestra, there is just one opportunity to rehearse together in person. That’s why Foumai meets artists ahead of that rehearsal to share a computer-generated version of the music he composed to accompany their guest performances.

Exactly what a composer looks like now is a bit different than how it used to be in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach or Ludwig van Beethoven.  

“The image of a composer back when Beethoven was around and a composer today is very different in that I'm not behind a piano anymore,” Foumai said. “I'm behind computers. …  I can compose anywhere in the world. I can compose in my car. I can compose in a coffee shop. I don't need to be at a home studio, bound to a piano anymore.”

Today, composers hold more than one role. Foumai is also the orchestra’s director of artistic engagement. He is constantly planning future seasons and making sure performances are ready to go. Foumai writes program notes, and even dabbles in video and audio editing, as well as social media marketing for events.

Foumai got started in his musical career when he joined the orchestra in middle school. His older sister, who played piano and clarinet, wanted him to join the band. 

“My sister, being in the band, wanted me to play a wind instrument,” he said. “And so did my pediatrician, because I had grown up with asthma. He said: ‘You should really, play the trombone — build up your lungs!’ ”

But, when Foumai got his schedule, he was assigned to orchestra. On the first day, his teacher demonstrated the violin, viola, cello and bass. It was the violin that captured his attention.

When asked to pick a favorite piece he has composed, Foumai said it is always “the most recent piece,” with a laugh. But “Raise Hawaiki” remains especially important, he added. That piece was composed over three years and celebrates the return of the 

“It's one of the largest works I've ever composed. It's about 65 minutes long — evening length,” he said. “Before 

Raise Hawaiki,’ I was just a composer wanting to write stories about other places, other countries, other cultures, but ‘Raise Hawaiki’ gave me a true purpose of what music meant to me and what I could use music for and that was a tell the stories of my home, which weren

 being told on the concert stage. ‘Raise Hawaiki’ was a way to say Polynesian composers — Polynesian-inspired music — has a place in orchestras, and that's what I want to do with my music.”

The final production, which hit the stage in 2019, included a full orchestra and choir, as well vocal soloists, a children’s choir, hula dancers and projections inspired by the double-hulled voyaging canoe.

Some of the artists Foumai works with don’t read music, but instead play by ear, listening to music and then playing it back. 

“That doesn't quite work with an orchestra,” he said. “For my job, I need to translate that all into musical notation, which is a hard job to do, but I find it's really satisfying for me because I feel like I'm bringing their music to the symphonic stage, which is an incredible thing. When I think of symphony orchestra, I think of Hollywood movie soundtracks. For me, it's bringing that sound to their music, and I always find it very exciting. The artists — when they get to the stage — you can see it in their eyes: 

Taimane’s concert with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at the Hawai’i Theatre in Honolulu.

Tickets range in price from $20 to $118.50. 

Michael-Thomas Foumai

<title>Meet the composer behind Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra’s performance… | Aloha State Daily</title>

Composer-in-residence Michael-Thomas Foumai is teaming up with the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning Taimane Gardner for a concert with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. Aloha State Daily takes you behind-the-scenes to their meeting before the concert in April.

Meet the composer behind Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra’s performance with Taimane

ASD Staff

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<title>Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Making up all any kine | Aloha State Daily</title>

In today's social media find, @islandmagicmike riffs on Hulu, Disney and more.

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Making up all any kine

AKINA portrait 2

Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

Viewpoints

Robert Pritchett’s home on the Lahaina waterfront stood for 90 years before being lost to the August 2023 wildfires. Now, he’s paying a mortgage on an empty lot and watching his resources drain away while waiting for permits and approvals to rebuild.

Similarly, the Stevens family built their shoreline home on Kai Pali Place in Lahaina 44 years ago, and it too was destroyed in the fires. They’ve applied for a Special Management Area permit to rebuild their destroyed home and are still waiting.

Likewise, Jenni Bishop’s modest 2,000-square-foot home on the makai side of Front Street was destroyed in the fires, and she also wants to rebuild what she had. Under the current SMA rules, however, she can rebuild only half the square footage.

These stories from legislative testimony aren’t unique. There are many more Maui residents within the SMA boundaries who simply want to be able to rebuild what they lost. Current SMA regulations make that extremely difficult, however, and local lawmakers have taken note.

Gov. Josh Green, for his part, has issued multiple emergency proclamations that include waivers for Lahaina residents seeking SMA permits, which normally can take years to obtain. But the issue needs to be solved permanently to provide certainty.

A bill that would address the problem is 

, approved on Thursday by the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs. The goal now is for the bill to make it all the way to the governor’s desk for his approval, and the chances for that look pretty good.

Another proposal to help Maui’s rebuilding efforts is 

 which was approved unanimously by the Maui County Council just yesterday and praised shortly afterward by Mayor Richard Bissen. [Editor's note — Mayor Bissen signed this bill into law this week.]

The measure will make it easier for county residents to restore nonconforming structures and uses destroyed by natural disasters. A “nonconforming” building is one that was once permitted but would be illegal if it were constructed the same way under current zoning code requirements.

The term also refers to how a building is used. For example, it might have been legal to be an ice cream shop or even a church, temple or synagogue when it first opened, but the location has since been rezoned to not allow that particular purpose.

Mayor Bissen issued a statement saying the passage of Bill 105 represented “a crucial step in helping our community rebuild stronger and with hope.”

He said the measure was “initiated by the [Maui] Planning Department and strongly supported by Councilmember [Tamara] Paltin,” and “for many, it will allow them to restore their homes as they were, building back the character that made Lahaina special.”

This, of course, is great news, but many bureaucratic barriers to Lahaina’s recovery remain. We must continue working to remove them.

I hope that in addition to SB1296 and Bill 105, state and county policymakers will enact even more reforms to help our Maui ohana rebuild, recover and — ultimately — once again thrive.

Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D. is president and CEO of 

. Reprinted with permission from Akina's March 25, 2025 newsletter.

I Stock Lahaina Paul Venus

<title>Community Voices: Lahaina future brighter, but keep pedal to the metal | Aloha State Daily</title>

Community Voices: Lahaina future brighter, but keep pedal to the metal

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

I’m no golfer; not in the slightest. But recently opened 

 features a new indoor experience that will cater to avid and amateur golfers.

Aya Golf Lounge officially opened on March 15, according to its founder and CEO, Sari Park. To get there, park at Azure Ala Moana (look for the designated parking stalls for Aya Golf Lounge), and take the escalators downstairs. Upon exiting the building, you’ll see the venue’s restaurant space.

The restaurant is huge, in and of itself, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I wasn’t there with a group, I wouldn’t have known about the golf lounges, which are located down a short hallway.

 The lounges feature high-tech TWOVISION Golfzon powered simulators. You can choose from more than 200 world-famous courses to play on, including Pebble Beach Golf Links, Evian Resort Golf Club and more. You can bring your own golf clubs or use the ones in the lounge.

If you’re not into golf, the rooms also feature karaoke systems. If you already have a lounge reservation for golf, members of your group can enjoy karaoke for $2 per song. There’s even a light switch to set the mood by activating disco lights.

Standard suites cost $100 or $120 per hour on weekdays (depending on the time) and $150 per hour on weekends. But, rooms can comfortably fit around six people, making it easier to split the cost. There’s even a VIP suite, which is larger and can fit 18 to 22 people. The VIP suite costs $120 or $150 per hour on weekdays (depending on the time), and $180 per hour on weekends. Reservations for the golf lounges are accepted via phone (808-200-2982) or via 

Since the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can order food and drinks to enjoy while playing. The breakfast menu features dishes like French toast with banana syrup ($12), Aya signature bagel ($16) and the loco moco deluxe ($19). Lunch options include the chicken caprese sandwich ($21), prosciutto and burrata salad ($24) and Mediterranean poke bowl ($23). I especially enjoyed the chicken caprese sandwich, which featured a generous portion of tender chicken smothered with a flavorful pesto.

The dinner menu features a variety of shareable pūpū and heartier entrees. Happy hour is from 5 to 6 p.m.; customers can get half off all menu items, except for the braised short rib pasta and portobello rib-eye steak.

Appetizers include bacon truffle fries ($14), grilled pork belly nachos ($20), prosciutto and burrata crostini ($21) and Aya’s potato balls. The latter is inspired by the signature potato balls at Porto’s Bakery — a popular bakery in Southern California — and was a crowd favorite among our group.

The lounges also feature a bar menu with beers, wines, bottle service and specialty cocktails. Specialty cocktails include options like ube coconut tea ($25), kimchi bloody mary ($22) and “On the Green” old fashioned ($20). If you want something unique and can handle the spice, go for the kimchi bloody mary.

Meanwhile, desserts — lychee sorbet ($6) and matcha tiramisu ($9) — are served all day. After indulging in a variety of fried dishes, the matcha tiramisu was especially delightful, thanks to its fluffy texture and not overly sweet flavor.

Open daily, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., 5 p.m.-2 a.m. (closed daily from 4-5 p.m.)

Aya Golf Lounge 032125

<title>A look at Hawaiʻi’s first premier luxury indoor golf lounge | Aloha State Daily</title>

Aya Golf Lounge includes golf, karaoke, food and drinks — what a ‘par’-tee.

A look at Hawaiʻi’s first premier luxury indoor golf lounge

David Nakazono, the principal trumpet player for Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, came by his love of the 

, honestly. In fact, there are baby photos of him with the instrument. 

“It actually goes all the way back to before I was born,” Nakazono told Aloha State Daily. “My parents met in high school in California playing trumpet in band.”

On Friday, March 28, Nakazono will be playing trumpet as part of the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra’s live performance of the musical score for “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” while the movie plays on a big screen at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. 

The concert runs from March 28 to March 30.

Nakazono’s music career started early. At six years old, his parents started teaching him piano. His dad was in the military, so they moved a lot, including to Germany, as well as Kansas, Texas, and South Carolina. Eventually, Nakazono picked up the trumpet. As a teenager, he played that instrument at four different high schools, as his father moved around for work, he said.  

[{"text":"But there was a moment when Nakazono almost became a physicist.","type":"text"}]

“When it came to going to college, I actually hadn't made the connection that I could pursue music professionally,” he said. “I entered undergrad as a physics major and always intended to double major in music, just because I love playing trumpet. It wasn't until my junior year of college, over winter break, when I was researching grad schools for physics, my dad asked me — knowing that I wouldn't be able to do both music and physics at the level I was doing at undergrad forever in grad school — he asked me when I was going to quit trumpet.”

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“I didn’t like that question,” he said. “But that kind of triggered an existential exploration of what was I really going to do?”

Nakazono reached out to mentors in physics and music for advice. Eventually, he decided to pursue the trumpet. He moved to Chicago, where he earned a master’s degree in music and orchestral studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Nakazono played in a few regional orchestras, including the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Philharmonic and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. In November, he was hired for his current role at as principal trumpet at Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra.

Star Wars was “one of my first intros to orchestral music,” he said. In fact, he remembers watching “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” and acting out scenes from that movie with lightsabers and friends on the playground.

“John Williams and Star Wars were really my introduction to orchestral and classical music and what's possible on the trumpet,” he said. “Probably one of my favorite moments in playing Star Wars is that opening high concert B flat. It’s iconic. Opens up with that title crawl. But there's so many good moments for the trumpet in Star Wars.”

Tickets range in price from $51.50 to $95.50. To purchase tickets, 

David Nakazono

<title>Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra to perform music for Star Wars movie | Aloha State Daily</title>

Fans can see “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” in concert this month at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. Aloha State Daily caught up with the orchestra’s principal trumpet player to learn how he started his music career.

Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra to perform music for Star Wars movie

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

The Hawaiian Humane Society says, "If you’re looking for a loyal, playful companion who loves adventure and cuddles, Ahi might be your perfect match!"

Adopt a pet Ahi 3.28.25

Adopt A-Pet March 28, 2025: Meet Ahi, a snuggly pup who loves a good treat

Learn how to adopt this pup named Bubbles from the Hawaiian Humane Societyʻs Mōʻiliʻili Campus.

Adopt a Pet Bubbles 3.27.25

Adopt A-Pet March 27, 2025: Meet Bubbles, a smart ʻgoofballʻ terrier mix

ASD is thrilled to debut this adopt-a-pet series, thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Hawaiian Humane Society, which has two locations on Oʻahu. Getting us started is Pata!

Pata A0056681341 Smiling 1600x900

Adopt A-Pet March 26, 2025: Meet Pata, a playful pit bull terrier mix

We've partnered with the Hawaiian Humane Society to share pets that are up for adoption at its shelters.

<title>Adopt a Pet | Aloha State Daily</title>

Hashbrown is a social pup, who gets along well with people and other dogs, and remains composed when exploring new spaces.

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Adopt a Pet

Adopt A-Pet March 28, 2025: Meet Ahi, a snuggly pup who loves a good treat

Adopt A-Pet March 27, 2025: Meet Bubbles, a smart ʻgoofballʻ terrier mix

Adopt A-Pet March 26, 2025: Meet Pata, a playful pit bull terrier mix