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Government & Politics

A $2 billion natural gas facility proposed for Kapolei is still anticipated to come online in four years.

, JERA Co. Inc., the largest power generation company in Japan, submitted a 

 to the state for a natural gas-fired power plant that would deliver about 500 megawatts of power — equivalent to about one-third of the island’s total power plant generation — to O‘ahu’s power grid annually.

That proposal estimated that the facility — called the Longboard LNG project — could go online in 2030, pending permitting and regulatory hurdles. On Wednesday, Erik Montague, vice president of development JERA Americas, told Aloha State Daily that is still possible, although the project is still not a guarantee for Hawai‘i.

“Nothing’s 100% in this world,” Montague said. “We’re very confident right now that this makes sense. Working through this process, making sure we’ve answered all of the technical and safety concerns in a way that the regulators are comfortable with, and the people here are comfortable with — that’s a process that we have to go through before we get to certainty.”

On Tuesday and Wednesday last week, JERA hosted a pair of open house events as part of a public outreach process required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission before filing a formal application. At Wednesday’s event, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, JERA representatives presented facts about various facets of the proposed facility.

As the JERA proposal and representatives explained, the project would import liquefied natural gas to O‘ahu via tanker ships, which would be stored in an offshore floating fuel storage unit, which would also regasify the fuel, converting it from a liquid form back to gas. The fuel would then be delivered by an underwater pipeline to the power plant itself, located in Kapolei, which would burn the fuel, generating electricity to be sent throughout O‘ahu through the existing power grid.

Montague said the project dovetails with the state’s mandate that 100% of its net electricity generation come from renewable sources by 2045. He said Japan has its own similar mandate, with a 2050 deadline, which he called “a tall order.”

“We have seen tremendous progress in Japan,” Montague said. “I think Hawai‘i has seen tremendous progress, but that first 30%, 35%, is the easier stuff … The next 35% is going to be much more difficult, and we’re already seeing that, across the world, that the cost of these renewables are getting higher, and making sure that the grid is in a position to accept them becomes a bigger and bigger challenge.”

JERA’s involvement in Hawai‘i came about in 2023, during a Biden-era hydrogen “hubs” 

, wherein the Department of Energy established regional hydrogen development and innovation hubs throughout the U.S., with about $7 billion in funding to boot.

“We met with some of the parties here, and I think it became apparent very quickly that the state had some serious energy challenges,” Montague said.

 in early 2024 about how to best decarbonize the state, which concluded that the “gas transition pathway” was the most cost-effective and carbon-friendly option. After sharing this study with the state, and following further discussions, JERA eventually 

 a strategic partnering agreement with Hawai‘i in Oct. 2025 to develop energy projects in the state.

LNG is not a renewable fuel. However, Montague said JERA’s facility is not incompatible with the state’s mandate; the facility can be converted to burn other clean fuels such as biofuel, while JERA’s regasification unit can weigh anchor and sail on to different markets.

“A transition from coal and oil to gas is a very tried-and-true pathway to manage affordability and emissions,” Montague said, adding that about 70% of O‘ahu’s power still comes from oil generation. “The transition beyond that, I think, is probably a bit more varied.

“Many places that are upgrading their thermal infrastructure to modern gas power are able to increase their renewable generation, so that even though they may still be using natural gas, they’re able to use less of it and have a higher penetration of renewables in their market,” Montague said.

Montague said he expects JERA will formally file an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the end of the year, which will kick off “a very regimented review process.” Meanwhile, regulatory steps on the state side, with the Public Utilities Commission, must also play out, which Montague said JERA is “still a bit earlier.”

“Once it starts producing cleaner, more affordable power, then I’ll tell you that it’s 100% certain,” Montague said. “Obviously once you start construction, that’s a big milestone, but that’s still a little ways out in front of us.”

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Untitled design 3 1 16x9

<title>Liquid natural gas proposal builds momentum</title>

$2 billion facility in Kapolei could go online by 2030.

Liquid natural gas proposal builds momentum

Most incumbents fended off challengers in Hawai’i’s primary election Saturday. 

While many elected officials ran unopposed in Saturday’s election, dozens of races, including those for the state’s highest offices, were contested. Here’s how those races turned out, based on 

released Sunday by the state Office of Elections.

In the wake of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke’s dramatic fall from grace, the lieutenant governor position was one of the most hotly contested this election, with five Democratic candidates and four Republicans throwing their hats into the ring. 

Kaua’i Mayor Derek Kawakami was the most popular of those candidates by far, with 139,935 votes at most recent count, more than 62% of the votes cast for Democrat candidates. His next-closest challenger, Rep. Della Au Belatti, received 55,093 votes.

Kawakami will face Republican Daniel Anthony, who defeated three challengers with 16,930 votes, and non-partisan candidate Kilakila Kamau — who was unopposed in the primary — in November.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Overwhelming support for Green"}]

Gov. Josh Green, meanwhile, handily won his race, receiving 183,872 votes as of Sunday, about 83% of the votes for the four Democratic candidates. The next-closest challenger, Lauren Shim, received only 11,156 votes.

On the Republican side of the race, Gary Cordery will challenge Green in November, having received 36,308 votes in the primary, over 20,000 more than his sole opponent Ken Fujiyama. 

And non-partisan candidate Bu Laia Hill defeated three challengers and received 1,320 votes.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not all incumbents hold on in the Senate"}]

Of the 14 Senate seats up for this year’s election, seven were uncontested in the primary. Of the remaining seven races, two saw incumbents closely challenged or unseated entirely.

In District 10, Rep. Jackson Sayama — who currently represents House District 21, including Kaimukī and Pālolo Valley — defeated incumbent Sen. Les Ihara Jr. Sayama received 6,486 votes compared to Ihara’s 3,074.

The Republican race for Senate District 20 is extremely close. At the most recent count, incumbent Kurt Fevella was only seven votes behind challenger Bob McDermott, leading 1,211 to 1,204. 

Meanwhile, the race for District 13 was hotly contested as sitting senator Karl Rhoads was not running for re-election. Tricia Kwai Lin Nakamatsu defeated four other Democratic candidates with 4,454 votes.

Incumbents won the other races. In Senate District 2 on Hawai’i Island, Sen. Joy San Buenaventura received 5,253 votes, defeating her Democratic challenger Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian, who received 1,911. 

In District 14, Sen. Donna Mercado Kim defeated her sole challenger with 3,455 votes against her opponent’s 2,858.

Sen. Rachele F. Lamosao, who was appointed to the 19th District in December following the retirement of former Sen. Henry Aquino, has received 3,883 votes, defeating her single Democratic opponent. Meanwhile, Rep. Elijah Pierick ran uncontested for the same seat, and will face Lamosao in the general election.

And Sen. Chris Lee had 9,263 votes in District 25, far ahead of his sole challenger Bobby Silva, who had 1,641.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Battles for House vacancies"}]

As most contested elections in the House strongly favored the incumbent, the closest battles were in districts where the incumbent was not running for reelection.

In House District 21 — currently held by Jackson, who is running for a seat in the Senate — five Democrats vied for the seat, with Derek Turbin in the lead with 2,631 votes. HIs closest challenger, Jake Morrow, has 1,358 votes.

Four Democratic candidates also fought for House District 26, currently held by Belatti. Ian Ross, with 2,010 votes, is in the lead in that race.

The only races in the House where the incumbent was closely challenged were in District 29 — where Democratic incumbent Ikaika Hussey is currently only 30 votes ahead of challenger John Mizuno — and District 43, where Republican Rep. Kanani Souza is only a single vote ahead of opponent Sheila Medeiros.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Turnout"}]

According to the most recent data published Sunday morning, more than 280,000 votes were cast in the primary, about 33% of the total registered voters in the state. This is about 10,000 more votes than were cast in the 2024 primary election, although nearly 250,000 fewer than those cast in the 2024 general.

Of those votes cast this year, nearly all of them — 274,093 — were cast by mail. Of those, 210,283 were cast for the Democratic Party, and 47,073 were cast for the Republicans.

Derek kawakami kauai state of the county 031325

<title>Who's winning in the primary election?</title>

Here's how the most hotly contested races stand as of Sunday.

Who's winning in the primary election?

Hawai’i Rep. Ed Case will hold on to his seat after the first primary election results came in Saturday.

Case, who is running for his third consecutive term as representative of Hawai’i’s first congressional district, faced four challengers in the state Democratic primary, most significantly Jarrett Keohokalole, the state senator for Senate District 24, which includes Kāne’ohe and Puohala Village.

released by the Hawai’i Office of Elections showed Case with a commanding lead over his opponents: about 60% of the roughly 97,000 votes counted in the first results were for Case. 

Votes for Keohokalole accounted for about 35% of the first results. The other three candidates — Jennifer Booker, Nick Kiswanto and Ben Fatula — together received the remaining five percent of the vote. 

Keohokalole conceded the race Saturday evening. He told Aloha State Daily he "doesn't like losing," but intends to stay hard at work in the state Senate.

"We're gonna do a deep dive into the numbers and do some outreach and sort of figure out [what happened]," Keohokalole said. "We're gonna take the kids to the beach tomorrow and try and relax and decompress, and then we'll take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly ... and then I go back to work in the Senate. There's plenty to do. A lot of the issues are gonna be the same. The role is gonna be a little different, but you know the the work doesn't stop."

Keohokalole said he felt that he could have done more in Congress had he won, and that challenging the incumbent Case was healthy for democracy.

"No one is entitled to an elected seat," Keohokalole said. "We should have challenges in races. You don't have a functioning democracy unless there's choice."

Keohokalole will retain his Senate seat until the 2028 elections. As the Senate has no term limits, he is eligible to run again.

Case told ASD he is humbled by Hawai‘i voters' faith in him. He said the election was, to his eyes, "a referendum on [his] job performance."

"I think the real fault lines were ideological," Case said of the difference between him and Keohokalole. "A choice between different types of Democrat ... and most voters said they want a moderate, mainstream democratic approach."

While Case said he will not take the general election for granted, he added that, should he win, he will "go right back to the same challenges [he's] been dealing with: the dysfunction, the polarization in Congress." He said addressing the cost of living crisis remains one of his top priorities.

Case will face another three challengers in the general election in November. His Republican opponent, Adriel Lam, ran unopposed in the primary and received 15,224 votes. His other challengers are non-partisan candidate Nathan Berning and Green Party candidate Jordan Conley.

Meanwhile, Hawai’i’s other representative, Jill Tokuda, easily defeated her three primary challengers, receiving 84% of the vote by first results. She will face Republican challenger and state senator Brenton Awa, who was unopposed in the primary, in November.

Ed Case 2022 Official Portrait

<title>Case, Tokuda, keep seats after blowout primary</title>

Early results from the state primary elections indicate an all-but-assured victory for Hawai‘i's incumbent representatives.

Case, Tokuda, keep seats after blowout primary

Hawai‘i needs leaders who can identify our most persistent problems, set clear priorities, and measure whether their decisions are producing results. The

 is one tool for doing just that: a free and publicly accessible resource my colleagues and I have developed and continually curate.

The dashboard places Hawai‘i in a national context and shows where our state stands on 27 measures of affordability, health, safety, education, and the economy. This tool is driven solely by data — not opinions — and gives public officials, candidates and citizens a common starting point for discussing what deserves attention.

Road quality illustrates how the Dashboard can turn a broad public concern into a measurable policy challenge. The International Roughness Index measures 

, and Hawaiʻi is in the lowest tier nationally (47 of 50), with 15 percent of Hawai‘i’s roads rated in poor condition in 2024 — about 1 in every 6 miles of public roads. This metric has worsened since 2013, when Hawai‘i was ranked 45 out of 50.

Roads are only one example, and it is good to see that Hawai‘i is not below par in every category. While there is room for improvement, we score better than many states on measures such as incidence of violent crime, food security, and household broadband access. Nonetheless, data on the dashboard suggest that Hawai‘i certainly needs to make gains with homelessness, property crime, and the cost of energy. Taken together, the Hawai‘i Dashboard offers a clear list of pertinent issues for leaders to champion and provides a way for the public to track results objectively.

Measurement alone, however, does not identify leadership. A worthy leader must decide which problems deserve priority, build support for difficult choices, manage competing risks, and remain accountable for the results.

Not everyone is cut out to lead others, but if you are an elected or appointed official, run the local canoe club, or manage a sales team in your company, you are a leader — and you often must do contradictory things. You need to champion your organization’s purpose, implement strategies, manage financial risks, handle crises, give life to products and services, and you need to inspire, hire, and fire people.

Steve Jobs put it this way. “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream.”

Good research tells us that America’s top CEOs generally pilot their companies in one of five distinct ways. Some focus on strategy and long-term horizons; others delegate strategy to business-unit heads. Some concentrate on technical expertise and continuous innovation, while still others emphasize financial controls, return on investment, and compliance. A fifth approach shapes turnarounds, often in the face of oblivion but sometimes for transformational expansion.

These approaches offer useful lessons for public institutions, even though government is not a corporation and citizens are not shareholders. Public officials must nonetheless choose priorities, manage risk, navigate crises, build coalitions, and deliver results that the people they serve can examine.

Those are also the standards voters should apply when evaluating candidates and the officials they elect. In Hawai‘i, the Dashboard can help candidates identify priorities and give voters a way to assess whether elected officials are making progress. It offers a common set of indicators for identifying problems, establishing priorities, and asking whether public action is producing measurable improvement.

The point is not to reward officials for choosing fashionable issues or announcing ambitious goals. Leadership success in the public and private sectors alike comes down to tackling big problems, and it is fair to evaluate leaders by how well they address the issues they choose to take on. Whether the concern is tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz or lousy local roads, we voters judge politicians by what they did or did not set out to accomplish, and how well they performed.

Results, however, are not enough; one additional factor is essential: integrity. Honor, reliability, and truthfulness mean doing the right thing for the right reasons, even when no one is watching. In the end, integrity comes down to a simple, three-part test of reasonable consistency: what a leader thinks, what he or she says publicly, and what a leader does.

This test does not demand perfect consistency. Circumstances change, new troubles arise, and leaders must sometimes revise their plans. What matters is whether their thinking, public statements, and actions remain reasonably aligned.  

 is an extremely important expectation since all leadership is political, and no leader is perfect; we need to be tolerant of how challenging leadership really is. Jimmy Carter was a man of great integrity but his downfall arose with the energy, economic, and Iran crises of the late 1970s. That era still echoes, and we now desperately need leaders who can move through the current divisiveness and endless dithering.

There are models for such: Churchill’s great strength in WWII was fervor and boldness; he once opined that leadership is just moving from failure to failure with enthusiasm. Gandhi had a fierce moral fiber developed in South Africa when he was subjected to narrow-minded prejudice, but later applied what he learned to achieve India’s independence. Nelson Mandela emerged from decades in prison, deftly avoided a civil war, and helped end South Africa’s official apartheid policies.

Over the coming months, my colleagues and I will highlight key observations surfaced by the Dashboard and share our analyses with you here. Perhaps this will help make sense of difficult days.  With the midterms coming up, we have an opportunity to rethink what we want from our leaders. It’s time to be bold. We are all in it together. And for anyone who wants to see where Hawai‘i stands, how we are changing, and which challenges deserve our attention, the Hawai‘i Dashboard offers a useful place to start.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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<title>The breakthrough that Hawai‘i needs: Measuring what leaders do</title>

It’s time for a change. Leadership is more than charisma or slogans; it requires choosing real problems and acting with enough integrity and reasonableness that the public can judge results fairly. ASD introduces a new data-driven opinion column to help readers understand what works in Hawai‘i, what doesn't, and how we stack up against other states.

The breakthrough that Hawai‘i needs: Measuring what leaders do

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

, previously located in Kaimukī, now has a new home.

Business owner Kanako Kiyabu says she has been looking for a new space for her business for more than a year.

“We really loved being part of the Kaimukī community,” she says. “As our business continued to grow, we needed a larger kitchen to keep up with production. We spent about a year looking for the right space, and we’re so happy we finally find our new location.”

The business had been located in Kaimukī for about six years, according to Kiyabu.

“It (the business) all started when I made my daughter’s first birthday cake,” she says. “After that, friends and family began asking me to make cakes for their special occasions, and my business grew, little by little.”

While her business stemmed from making cakes, Kiyabu says the business's name “We Heart Cake Company” had a deeper meaning.

“I didn’t want it to be just about me making cakes,” she says. “I wanted it to be about our team, our customers and our community. We create happiness together. The heart (symbol in our name) is simple, cute and something everyone recognizes. But to me, it also represents love, kindness, care and the spirit of Aloha.”

We Heart Cake Co. closed its doors in Kaimukī at the end of May and soft opened in its new space in mid-June. The dessert shop is now located on South King Street; the entrance to the parking lot is on Liona Street.

“We have more space to work efficiently, and our customers have been so warm and welcoming,” Kiyabu says. “We’re happy to be part of this community. Our new location has a much-larger kitchen, which allows us to make more products, while maintaining the quality we care about.

“The name ‘We Heart Cake Company’ reminds us that everything we make is created with love and care,” she adds. “We truly put our hearts into every product we make.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Having more customer parking is another benefit of the new location."}]

“Customers can park right in front of our store for up to 30 minutes when they’re picking up an order from We Heart Cake Company,” Kiyabu says. “It makes pick-up much more convenient and stress-free.”

The business is popular for its cakes, but also offers cake pops, cupcakes, mini meringue cookies and butter mochi.

Its lava puffs ($4.95 each or $4 with a purchase of more than four) are a new dessert now available at the store, according to Kiyabu.

“One of our most popular products right now is our lava puff,” Kiyabu says. “What makes it special is the crispy top and the smooth, melt-in-your-mouth cream filling. We also offer unique flavors that you won’t find everywhere, like red velvet and ube.”

The business’s butter mochi is also a newer treat. We Heart Cake Co.’s butter mochi and daifuku (mochi with a filling, often red bean paste) are both made using high-quality mochiko flour imported from Asia, according to Kiyabu.

“Being Japanese, I’ve always loved traditional Japanese sweets,” Kiyabu says. “In Hawai

i, I became fascinated by butter mochi because it’s such a wonderful combination of Japanese mochi culture and Hawaiʻi’s local culture.”

Customers can now find We Heart Cake Co.’s butter mochi — available in flavors like original, peanut butter and coconut — in 7-Eleven stores, Times Supermarkets and at Aloha Gas stations.

We Heart Cake Co. is officially celebrating its grand opening this Saturday, Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During this time, the business will be giving away free cake pops to the first 102 customers, according to Kiyabu.

“We wouldn’t be here without the support of Hawai

i’s local community,” Kiyabu says. “Because of your support, we’ve been able to grow and continue doing what we love. We Heart Cake Company exists because of all of you (our customers), and we’re truly grateful.”

Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, closed Sundays

We Heart Cake Co business owner 080526

<title>We Heart Cake Co. has a new Honolulu store</title>

The dessert shop — which used to be in Kaimukī — is now open in McCully. The biz is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 8, with free cake pops for the first 102 customers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We Heart Cake Co. has a new Honolulu store

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Aloha Spirit

It’s 5 p.m. on a Wednesday in early July and the church bells are ringing out over Lahaina. The day may be ending, but it’s still hot and the sun is still shining brightly over the West Maui community.

It’s a different sight today than it was on Aug. 8, 2023, when wildfires driven by winds from a passing storm ravaged parts of the Valley Isle. While 

 through several other areas of Maui, Lahaina saw the worst as an inferno destroyed much of the historic town and killed more than 100 people. It was one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than a century.

Lahaina’s famed Front Street is no longer bustling in the way it was before the wildfires, but on this July day, nearly three years later, there are signs of new life on the quiet streets.

When I was here two years ago, just before the first anniversary of the fire, heaps of debris and piles of twisted metal remained in many areas. It was quieter then, almost silent, as I spoke with business owners who had lost everything. They sifted through the rubble and ruins and paused poignantly as they took in what was, seemingly reflecting on what had been.

[{"type":"text","text":"On this day, though, it's different."}]

A small group has gathered in a parking lot off Front Street; signage there directs people to “Meet Here” for various tours leaving from the nearby 

. More signs direct pedestrians along a route to get there.

[{"type":"text","text":"Some hazards may persist, the signs warn. Access at your own risk."}]

There’s plenty that’s still off limits on this day — roads closed, fencing up, warnings posted — but this afternoon, a few people, including this reporter, are trekking down the roadway, a portion of which was still closed to vehicles, on foot.

Visitors pause and take in the sight of the 153-year-old banyan tree, still looming large. The tree was damaged by the heat of the blaze and is still recovering from the fire, but wasn’t destroyed. It’s been fenced off, with no trespassing signs posted. Following an assessment this spring, arborists have decided that the tree will remain fenced off for another two years, but you can still admire from the sidewalk. (Read more the tree 

A man walks one way down the road, his dog on a leash. Walking in the other direction is a man with a surfboard under his arm. A short time later, a young boy bikes down the empty street, with his family following close behind. He rings the bell on his bicycle.

[{"type":"text","text":"Some visitors on the sidewalk lament the loss."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Look at those buildings, they say. It’s all gone, they say."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"And that’s true, but it isn’t."}]

So where’s Lahaina today, three years later? It’s still there. Recovery is still underway and what the community will ultimately look like is yet to be seen, but work is progressing, more slowly for some than others, but it is progressing.

Aloha State Daily sat down with county leaders last month to find out where things stand three years after the fires.

[{"type":"text","text":"Rebuilding residential"}]

When talking about the fires, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, who is seeking reelection this year, first offers up some context, and starts by recounting a community meeting in September 2023, the month following the fires.

“I recall this vividly. The question was put to us: When do you think we will be able to get a building permit?” he told ASD during a sit-down interview in July. “And this man, he was not angry. He was very matter of fact. He said, ‘We just need to know how to plan.’”

Bissen told the man that based on what was known from other communities like Paradise, California, which was devastated by 

, and others, it would take at least two to three years to get a building permit.

But in November 2024, a little more than a year after the fires, Bissen said the first two rebuilt homes were moved into — 

“So, not only did it not take two or three years to get a building permit, it didn’t take two or three years to move back into a rebuilt home,” Bissen says.

As of Aug. 5 of this year, 577 homes have been completed, including 264 single-family units and 313 multi-family units, according to data on the county's 

There are 667 homes with issued permits, including 583 single-family units and 84 multi-family units, which means permits have been issued allowing construction to begin. Another 597 homes — 176 single-family units and 421 multi-family units — have permits processing, which means applications for permits have been submitted.

A total of 400 homes, including single-family and multi-family units, are under construction.

"I just needed to put that in perspective because it’s hard to say if you’re ahead or you’re behind without comparing it to something,” Bissen explained. “There’s so many reasons why that happened in terms of debris clearing and in terms of building, but I think for us, a big reason it happened … is we told our community so they would know in advance that our focus was going to be returning people to their homes, especially owner-occupied homes, because there are people who own second and third homes out there too, of course, [but] that has been our focus and we’re well on our way.”

Housing in Lahaina was a challenge even before the fire, but according to the 

, 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Lahaina fire, of which 1,898, or 86%, were residential. The residential structures that were damaged or destroyed made up about 45% of Lahaina's residential housing.

"The challenge of finding replacement housing units for residents who lost their homes is exacerbated by the average household size in Lahaina (3.53 people) being significantly higher than than the average in the county (2.96 people), state (2.92 people) and the United States (2.57)," the report reads. "The scarcity of rental housing amidst competition with short-term rentals presents an affordability challenge for displaced residents, increasing the pressure on the housing supply availability and high cost of living, compounded by the fire, have resulted in 45% of fire-impacted respondents to say they are considering leaving the county and moving elsewhere."

Across the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, 2,145 dwellings were destroyed, according to information provided by the county, citing county real property assessment data.

[{"type":"text","text":"Commercial activity and infrastructure"}]

The county also has been focusing on the commercial rebuilding concurrently, but the challenges are different, Bissen says.

“But now that infrastructure has been restored — we’re talking about water, wastewater, power, roads — that’s all infrastructure that commercial needs,” he told ASD. “You can put up a building, but you still need to bring water to the building, have wastewater go away from the building, get roads [so] people can get to the buildings, parking. There are things that are needed for our commercial business and I’m really proud of where we’re at on that, as well.”

 told ASD in a follow-up email that overall, infrastructure restoration was one of the "first and most critical phases of Lahaina's recovery."

"Before homes and businesses could be rebuilt, the community needed  safe drinking water, functioning sewer service, reliable roads, electrical service and other essential utilities," she said, noting that many of the projects required coordination among the county, state, utility providers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 program, which encompasses all the recovery programs funded by $1.6 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds appropriated for the 2023 wildfires, 

announced conditional funding allocations

 that will help restore 519 affordable housing units and fund 22 critical infrastructure and mitigation projects.

Some of those infrastructure projects include major corridor improvements, including phase 1C of the Honoapi‘ilani Highway realignment, or Lahaina Bypass extension; street extensions and connector roads; repairs to damaged roads and sidewalks; upgrades to recycled water systems; sewer system expansion and upsizing, replacement of critical wastewater pump stations, emergency power for essential water facilities, and reconstruction of public-serving facilities in West Maui, that announcement noted. 

This summer alone, though, there's been a flurry of movement recently in Lahaina’s commercial sector.

An interim marketplace and community gathering spot in development by Hawaiian Council — with support from its Kākoʻo Maui Fund and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation — will be the first project to bring storefronts back to Front Street, Maui County said in a July 2 announcement of its launch.

Called ‘Ulu o Lele, the marketplace will be located at the former Outlets of Maui site and offer a temporary home for local businesses, nonprofits, cultural practitioners, farmers and community programming while permanent commercial redevelopment progresses, the announcement noted.

According to the county, Hawaiian Council, formerly known as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, has secured a two-year lease for approximately three acres at the site and is leading the planning, development and implementation of the project, itself designed as an 18- to 24-month recovery initiative.

The project will use modular retail spaces and supporting infrastructure to "quickly activate the site and create new opportunities for local businesses and organizations," the announcement says. Meanwhile, the marketplace is expected to hold approximately 25 to 50 local vendors and help sustain about 90 jobs.

Meanwhile, Kimo’s Restaurant, a popular waterfront eatery lost in the fire, has also 

announced its intent to return to Front Street

Parent company T S Restaurants will partner with business leaders Kent Untermann and Mousa Hassan who are restoring the Chan Wa Building, which is where you’ll find the restaurant in the future.

Overall, five Front Street commercial permits were issued as of mid-July and two more commercial projects were nearing permits, according to information provided by Maui County. More than a dozen commercial properties were in planning consultation at that time.

"Permitting and approvals in the Lahaina Historic districts have been one of the most heavily regulated processes in the state, involving national, state and local rules. Besides being one of the most storied places in Hawaiʻi and the Islands’ first capital, it was the only historic district in the state with buildings constructed out over the water," the county noted in its July 2 announcement.

Zane Dalgamouni

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