Hawaii AEC Industry News

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Design - Construction - Development

1/31/12 - Kona - Palamanui pays up for college campus obligations - The developer paid the University of Hawaii $5.2 million this week and put another $4.4 million in escrow, to be released when the university completes the access road from Kaiminani Drive to the long-planned community college center.

1/26/12 - Kona - Kohanaiki shoreline park work to begin soon - Work on a long-fought-for shoreline park will begin within the next couple of months, starting with a blessing and cultural ceremony in early February.

1/17/12 - Hawaii County - Building code Alternative materials left out of plans - Alternative building materials, such as structural bamboo, rammed earth and straw bales, have found a place in the international building code and the building codes of Hawaii and many other states.

12/21/11 - Big Island - Plans advance for Ka'u gym, shelter - Hawaii County is making headway in its effort to make the much-needed Ka'u District Gym and Shelter a reality in Pahala.

12/19/11 - Kauai - HPM acquires Kauai Lumber - After 19 years, a lumber company in Lawai on Kauai has passed from one family to another with similar roots.

12/15/11 - Big Island - Hawaii receives $13.5M for Saddle Road - The federal government is giving Hawaii another $13.5 million for Saddle Road.

12/15/11 - Kona - Hokulia finally settled - State and federal court cases regarding the future of the Mamalahoa bypass were settled late Tuesday, but county officials and attorneys remained mum on the details.

12/08/11 - South Kona - Ranch's neighbors press County over proposed development - The would-be developer of a South Kona project is arguing the Kona Community Plan does not apply to its proposed planned unit development.

11/22/11 - Hawaii County - County continues to grapple with building code - As the Hawaii County Council plans its 10th meeting on a new county building code, Council Chairman Dominic Yagong is asking architects, contractors, owner-builders, trade unions and anyone else with an interest to submit amendments to make construction safe and more affordable.

11/17/11 - Hawaii County - SMA rule changes approved leeward side - The Leeward Planning Commission signed off on proposed changes to the special management area rules Thursday morning.

11/15/11 - Kona - Kona town meeting - OTEC International LLC will build a 1 megawatt Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's ocean science and technology park, NELHA Executive Director Greg Barbour announced Tuesday during a Kona Town Meeting.

11/14/11 - Oahu - Construction to begin on The Cove Waikiki condo project - A mid-rise Waikiki condominium project that has been in the planning stages for more than three years is scheduled to start construction in March 2012.

11/07/11 - Big Island - Circuit Court denies county motion - Hawaii County will have to take its case to stay arbitration proceedings to a higher court in its civil suit against Waikoloa affordable housing developer UniDev.

11/04/11 - Kona - Lanihau Properties prepares for mass grading - A dust screen is going up at Lanihau Properties' land mauka of Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

11/02/11 - Hawaii County - Testifiers not happy with building code changes - In a climate so gentle that some residents have only screens on windows to catch the trade winds, many are wondering why the county wants to force them to install double-paned glass windows and double-walled construction when building or remodeling their homes.

10/26/11 - Kona - Another delay for widening project - The construction start date for Phase 2 of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project has been pushed back again.

10/24/11 - Big Island - Saddle Road's final construction increment blessed - Monday afternoon marked the blessing that begins the final portion of the Saddle Road realignment project. About two dozen people, including federal and state transportation officials, task force members, military representatives and the owners of the company contracted to grade the final 10 miles of highway, attended the short blessing on a dirt track just south of the existing roadway, near mile marker 42.

10/10/11 - Big Island - Ocean View proposal panned - Hawaiian Ocean View Estates residents claim a memo from a county consultant working on the Ka'u Community Development Plan amounts to a land grab.

10/03/11 - Kona - Bypass road protest dead-ends - A South Kona property owner's protest of a county land acquisition has hit the end of the road.

10/03/11 - Big Island - Old plan gets new life - State and county officials used federal funds to put new numbers in an old North Kohala agricultural park plan that could be exempted from county zoning and subdivision rules.

9/27/11 - Oahu - Nan Inc. gets $25.3M contract for work at Schofield - Nan Inc. was awarded a $25.3 million contract to renovate buildings at the Army’s Schofield Barracks on Oahu.

9/26/11 - Oahu - Manu Kai wins $72.6M contract for Pacific Missile Range work - Manu Kai LLC was awarded a $72.6 million contract Wednesday to continue providing operations support at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauai.

9/21/11 - Hawaii County - Impact fees rejected - Impact fees, which have been considered by the Hawaii County Council for decades, have been rejected again.

9/20/11 - Kona - Judiciary complex sites subject of meeting - Stretching the dollar as far as possible should be at the forefront of the state Judiciary's mind when it selects a site next year for the long-promised Kona Judiciary Complex, a state official said Tuesday.

9/20/11 - Oahu - Architects Hawaii gets contract for Navy, Marines work - Architects Hawaii Ltd. has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract worth a maximum $10 million for architectural and engineering services for bachelor quarters and other projects at Navy and Marine Corps bases in Hawaii and the Pacific.

9/19/11 Hawaii County - Building permit numbers up on Big Island - Business has picked up at Hawaii County's Building Division, but that hasn't translated into jobs for the island's beleaguered construction industry, experts say.

9/19/11 Big Island - Residents take issue with Aina Koa Pono - A company that plans to build a biofuel plant in Pahala will commission an environmental assessment even though it's not required.

9/19/11 - Hawaii County - Bill ensures money spent where impact created - Protections built into a proposed impact fee ordinance and in state law should assure taxpayers that needed infrastructure will be built when new development puts a strain on existing facilities, Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann said Monday.

9/13/11 - Big Island - Parker Ranch granted 'important' rezoning request - Parker Ranch has become the first Big Island landowner to enroll in a state program offering government benefits in exchange for agricultural preservation.

9/06/11 - Hawaii County - County holds workshop on building code confusion - A controversial bill to create a new building code is a bit misunderstood, county officials said Tuesday at a workshop at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

8/31/11 - Oahu - Hawaiian Dredging wins $54.5M Marine Base Hawaii contract - Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. Inc. has won a fixed-price contract with the Navy worth nearly $54.5 million for the design and construction of several buildings at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay.

8/30/11 - State of Hawaii - Honolulu sees gain in construction jobs as Neighbor Islands decline - Honolulu was among the 136 metropolitan areas to see gains in construction employment between July 2010 and July 2011, according to an analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America.

8/29/11 - Kona - Laaloa Street extension - Design changes and delays acquiring property are preventing Mayor Billy Kenoi from keeping his promise to put the Laaloa Street extension out to bid as soon as the County Council approved a bond float.

8/23/11 - Big Island - Kona Judiciary Complex progressing - The Kona Judiciary Complex's lengthy list of potential sites has been winnowed down to seven, moving the much-needed facility closer to opening in 2017.

8/19/11 - Maui - Measures would pay to build police station in S. Maui - The Maui County Council's Budget and Finance Committee advanced measures Tuesday to finance construction of the $35.5 million South Maui Police Station.

8/18/11 - Big Island - Humane society $4M shelter gets planners' nod - The Leeward Planning Commission voted 4-0 Thursday to approve the Hawaii Island Humane Society's plan to convert a former quarry and bonsai nursery along Mamalahoa Highway in Keauhou into an animal community center.

8/17/11 - Hawaii County - Council postpones decision on building codes - Council members Wednesday first voted 6-3 to reconsider Bill 270, which seeks to repeal Hawaii County Code related to building and replace it with a new chapter that includes the adoption of the 2006 International Building Code, with amendments, before voting 9-0 to postpone a decision until Sept. 21.

8/17/11 - Kona - Opposition voiced to Hualalai Partners' plans - A developer seeking classification and zoning changes to allow a new subdivision north of Pualani Estates withdrew that request Tuesday following an outpouring of public opposition before a Hawaii County Council committee in Kailua-Kona.

8/16/11 - Kona - Highway widening to begin in October - It looks like Phase 2 of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project is going to be pushed back a bit.

8/09/11 - Ka'u - Big Island resort area planned - Developers are seeking to transform a 16,000-acre site next to Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos into Hawaii's newest resort area.

8/02/11 - Kona - Ooma Beachside Villages appeal denied - State Land Use Commissioners did not err in their decision to deny Ooma Beachside Villages a land classification change for its proposed North Kona development, a 3rd Circuit Court judge recently ruled.

8/01/11 - Hawaii County - Council plans to revisit building code decision - The County Council plans to reconsider its vote on Bill 270 at its Aug. 17 meeting, Council Chairman Dominic Yagong said Monday. The move will add another 30 days to the process to allow more amendments to the massive document.

7/30/11 - Kona - Hokulia on hold - Nearly 20 years after it was envisioned, the upscale Hokulia development is in limbo.

7/19/11 - Kona - Henry Street work completed on time - Since Friday afternoon, traffic has once again been flowing on Henry Street at Palani Road -- right on time, according to construction company estimates.

7/19/11 - Oahu - Judge sides with Sierra Club against Koa Ridge development - The developer of Koa Ridge, a planned community with 5,000 homes between Waipio and Mililani, was dealt a major setback today by a Circuit Court judge who said the project's approval in October by the state Land Use Commission was invalid.

7/18/11 - Kona - Developers ask for another delay - Attorneys for Hualalai Partners have reportedly asked Hawaii County Council's Planning Committee to postpone taking any action on the request to change the zoning on a 14.968-acre parcel just north of the Pualani Estates subdivision.

7/15/11 - Oahu - State signs off on North Shore wind farm plans - A second wind project on Oahu's North Shore, designed to be twice as large as the recently completed Kahuku plant, could be producing power as soon as next year.

7/07/11 - Big Island - Costs keep building - Major revamps to county building, plumbing and electrical codes moved forward Thursday on 8-0 votes by the Hawaii County Council.

7/01/11 - Oahu - Ho'opili gets a second chance - A controversial plan to build 11,750 homes on Ewa farmland was given new life Thursday as a state commission agreed to resume the case after it was stopped nearly two years ago.

6/28/11 - Big Island - DW Aina Lea seeks stay of Land Use Commission decision - The handful of townhouses already built on the DW Aina Lea property in South Kohala will "rot on the hill" if the 3rd Circuit Court does not grant a motion to stay a Land Use Commission decision.

6/27/11 - Kona - State baseyard proposed in Keauhou mauka - The state Department of Accounting and General Services last week issued a finding of no significant impact for its own proposed new Kona baseyard.

6/08/11 - Hawaii County - Council to look at building code update again - Building, electrical and plumbing code changes are back on the table. Proposals to the three codes would bring them in line with the 2006 International Building Code, the 2008 National Electric Code and the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code.

6/08/11 Big Island - Bridge Aina Lea sues LUC - The former developer of a South Kohala project is suing the state Land Use Commission for $35.7 million.

6/03/11 - Big Island - Lawyers ask judge to delay land use decision - Not allowing DW Aina Lea to proceed with construction, despite a Land Use Commission ruling against the project, will cause the developer to break promises to the community, lose goodwill it had with its foreign investors and delay the opening of affordable town houses, attorneys argue.

6/01/11 - Big Island - Kamakana Villages rethinking schedule - "We've always been pushing to get (the first affordable homes) in by 2012," Forest City's Race Randle said. "That's very aggressive. Beginning of 2013 is starting to become more realistic."

5/30/11 - Kona - Concrete Plans - West Hawaii motorists should be aware: Road work on Palani Road and Henry Street may snarl traffic starting in June.

5/26/11 - Hawaii - Cut home construction risk with a licensed contractor - Question: How should I go about choosing a good contractor?

5/19/11 - West Hawaii - Home sales on track but new starts are off - Real estate sales this quarter are looking to keep up with West Hawaii's track record of the second quarter being the biggest for real estate sales, a Realtor says.

5/18/11 - Oahu - Developer revives 11,750-unit project - Developer D.R. Horton has revised its plan to build 11,750 houses in Ewa and will again seek approval for the estimated $4.6 billion project called Hoopili nearly two years after it failed to pass the state Land Use Commission.

5/17/11 - Big Island - Site of former resort proposed for new project - Kahuku land that was the center of an eight-year battle before the Land Use Commission as the proposed Hawaiian Riviera Resort is again being moved forward for development.

5/17/11 - Kona - Change order shows another consultant flaw - Hawaii County is paying $229,000 to a construction contractor after a second engineering consultant failed to include utility pole relocation in the original project design.

5/10/11 - Kona - Makalei Fire Station breaks ground - Twelve years after Hawaii County officials passed an ordinance supporting a new North Kona fire station and several potential sites for the station later, Fire Department officials broke ground Monday morning.

4/29/11 - Big Island - Impact fee topic resurfaces - State law requiring impact fees collected and not used be returned to property owners sets too short a time period for the county to complete impact-fee-funded projects, a county planning official says.

4/28/11 - Big Island - Permits not necessary to start tsunami repairs - People whose property was damaged in the March 11 tsunami aren't required to obtain permits before starting repairs.

4/26/11 - Maui - Marriott to break ground for new hotel on Maui - A decade-old plan to build a hotel near Maui's main airport in Kahului is finally moving forward.

4/21/11 Oahu - Cancer Center project is ahead of schedule - The University of Hawaii is several months ahead of schedule on construction of its $120 million Cancer Center in Kakaako.

4/20/11 - Maui - Kehalani Village Center heads to reality - Maui-born developer Stanford Carr is moving ahead with plans to build his planned mixed-use Kehalani Village Center, which would eventually provide 200,000 square feet of commercial space in Wailuku.

4/15/11 - Honolulu - Group 70 takes first step toward adding civil engineering division - Group 70 International has hired a civil engineer as a first step toward becoming one of the first architectural firms in Hawaii to create an in-house civil engineering division.

4/15/11 - Maui - Bridging the gap - The unique, inverted arch bridge has been specifically designed for the eventual nine-mile bypass road from Launiupoko to Honokowai.

4/14/11 - Kona - Civic Center Celebration - County officials and former elected officials recalled the long process it took to bring the West Hawaii County Civic Center to fruition Thursday as they formally dedicated the new facility.

4/13/11 - Big Island - Parker Ranch seeks to rezone 25 acres - A rezoning request filed by Parker Ranch Inc. more than two years ago is finally coming before the Leeward Planning Commission, but not without some community opposition.

4/13/11 - Big Island - Developers suing over Aina Lea decision - DW Aina Lea has filed civil suit in an attempt to reverse a March state Land Use Commission proposed order to revert land owned by the developers back to an agricultural classification.

4/13/11 Big Island - Smart looks to put brakes on Ka'u development - She's not calling it by that name, but Ka'u Councilwoman Brittany Smart is asking for a development moratorium in Ka'u until a planning group comes up with a community development plan the County Council can agree upon.

4/6/11 Hawaii - Bills target isle harbors for private development - A handful of bills allowing increased privatization of Hawaii’s harbors was kept alive at the Legislature yesterday despite opposition of some boat owners who also worry about separate development proposals to bring wedding chapels to the state’s largest recreational boat harbor.

4/5/11 Kona - Queen Kaahumanu Highway project could begin soon - Highway widening construction is scheduled to begin in September, state transportation officials said Tuesday.

4/5/11 - Big Island - Impact fee ordinance postponed again - The Hawaii County Council on Tuesday inched a little closer to an impact fee ordinance when the Planning Committee accepted, then postponed, amendments designed to make the plan more palatable to builders of smaller homes.

4/5/11 - Big Island - County, UniDev ordered to select arbitrator, or judge will - Hawaii County attorneys sued UniDev in 2009, alleging fraud, intentional misrepresentations and negligence in UniDev's inability to proceed with the $40 million Waikoloa affordable housing project. Judge Elizabeth Strance last year ordered the county and UniDev into mediation, which Strance said needed to begin by May 30.

3/25/11 - Oahu - Lower prices restart condo project - Construction could begin in July once 114 units are sold in the Holomua

3/25/11 - Big Island - Aina Lea developers want another chance - Aina Lea developers are hoping the third time might be the charm for their proposed 1,060-acre South Kohala residential and commercial development proposal.

3/24/11 - Oahu - State OK advances E. Kapolei mall plans - The developer of a regional mall planned for East Kapolei on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property received approval yesterday from the Hawaiian Homes Commission to build a small phase initially and defer paying rent on most of the land for up to six years.

3/21/11 Honolulu - City awards $946 million in rail transit contracts - Ansaldo Honolulu was the winning bidder of a $574 million contract. Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. won a $372 million contract.

3/18/11 Kona - Palamanui road to pave way for new W. Hawaii campus - University of Hawaii, state and county officials Friday afternoon celebrated the groundbreaking for initial roadway infrastructure for the long-awaited Hawaii Community College at Palamanui campus.

3/10/11 Kona - Kalaoa Fire Station bid comes in $3M less than expected - Construction of the long-promised Makalei Fire Station should be under way by late summer at a cost much less than the Hawaii Fire Department previously anticipated, Assistant Chief Ralph Yawata said Wednesday.

3/09/11 Maui - Permit for proposed wedding business approved - The $2 million wedding and event facility, Nellie's on the Beach, will have a 3,500-square-foot, open-air restaurant-wedding hall in "Hawaiian plantation style" along with a 2,000-square-foot kitchen-restaurant and 1,320 square feet of retail space.

3/09/11 Maui - Scaled-down version of Maui Lani Center OK’d - For more than five years, HRT Ltd. has been wrestling with issues of noise, traffic, smells and congestion, and most of those issues have been mitigated.

3/09/11 Big Island - County back tracks building code changes - Dramatic changes to the county's 20-year-old building code are being sent back to a County Council committee, following public hearings that raised more questions than answers.

3/09/11 Kona - Lyman's condo plan withdrawn - A four-story condominium complex at Lyman's surf spot is off the table, though project opponents are still waiting to hear what the next development proposal for the property will be.

3/04/11 Kona - Work could start in April on Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening - Department of Transportation officials and representatives of Goodfellow Brothers Inc., which won the $76 million contract for the 5.2-mile widening project, are meeting later this week, Goodfellow Brothers Regional Manager Ed Brown said.

3/02/11 Kauai - Kauai luxe development moves ahead - The restart of building at Kukui'ula indicates a returned confidence in the high-end market.

2/24/11 Oahu - Clinic begins $8M expansion - The operator of a federally funded community health center in Kalihi Valley is holding a ceremony today to mark the start of work on a new 16,500-square-foot health and wellness center.

2/22/11 Maui - SMA permit sought for wedding and event facility - Don Nelson, a businessman on Maui and former professional basketball coach on the Mainland, is proposing a $2 million wedding and event facility on a nearly 1-acre lot on the north side of the Nani Kai Hale condominiums on North Kihei Road.

2/22/11 Kona - No funding yet for Kailua Park - The Old Kona Airport Master Plan final environmental assessment still doesn't include a funding source for the estimated $42 million project.

2/17/11 Oahu - Developer alters Hawaii Kai condo project - Big changes include new architectural plans, new executives, lower prices and a new name.

2/17/11 Kona - KIC seeks another extension to complete golf course - Developers of a Keauhou golf course want another five years to start and complete construction.

2/12/11 Honolulu - Rail ready to break ground - After decades of debate and planning, the first shovels of dirt will be turned over to make way for Honolulu's rail transit system on Feb. 22.

2/9/11 Oahu - IC Sunshine to build Oahu's first large-scale PV system - IC Sunshine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axio Power Holdings, plans to build Oahu’s first large-scale solar photovoltaic system that will sell energy directly to Hawaiian Electric Co.

1/31/11 Oahu - Target closes on Kailua land buy - Target Corp. has finalized an agreement with Kaneohe Ranch to purchase the Don Quijote site in Kailua Town. The sale of the 311,000-square-foot site closed on Jan. 28, and construction on the 130,000-square-foot Target store is scheduled to begin this spring, according to a statement from Kaneohe Ranch.

1/31/11 Oahu - Funds elude Kakaako plan - A state agency collaborating with a community advisory council has sketched its vision for developing state land in Kakaako next to Kewalo Basin. That was no easy task, but now comes the hard part: paying for delivery.

1/15/11 Big Island - County wants developer to post bond - A 3rd Circuit Court judge Friday took under advisement arguments about whether Waikoloa affordable housing developer UniDev should post a surety bond if court proceedings are halted during its appeal to a higher court.

1/14/11 Kona - Moving right along - As construction of the $50.5 million West Hawaii Civic Center wraps up, county departments and offices are preparing for a big move that will cause intermittent multiday closures of services to area residents.

1/14/11 USA - No McMansions for Millennials - Here's what Generation Y doesn't want: formal living rooms, soaker bathtubs, dependence on a car. In other words, they don't want their parents' homes.

1/7/11 Big Island - HBO chief's Big Isle project bankrupt - A Chapter 11 filing stalls a foreclosure auction connected to a partly-completed luxury subdivision.

1/6/11 Honolulu - Kyo-ya's plan for tower challenged - A battle over a planned oceanfront hotel and condominium tower next to the Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki is moving to a city review board.

1/6/11 Maui - Developers to be assessed impact fees for new schools - Landowners who want to build new housing units in Central, South and West Maui will soon have to pay new "impact fees" for the construction of new school facilities.

12/27/10 Maui - Costco expansion plans include gas station - Costco plans to expand its Kahului store and build a gas station next door as part of A&B Properties' first part of Maui Business Park Phase II.

12/17/10 Oahu - Watts Constructors joint venture wins Ford Island work - A joint venture between Honolulu-based Watts Constructors and Bulltrack Construction Co. of California has been awarded a $12.6 million contract to upgrade facilities on Ford Island.

12/16/10 Kona - Holualoa Bay condo delay - The Leeward Planning Commission Wednesday took testimony from 15 people -- all against the project -- then continued the contested case hearing to February.

12/09/10 Kona - Makalei Station bid opening soon - Fire officials are proposing a 2 percent budget increase for fiscal 2011-12 amid the department's preparation to open bidding to construct the long-promised $9 million Makalei Fire Station, Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira said Wednesday.

12/2/10 Waikoloa - Affordable housing will go on - A litigation cloud has been lifted from a $40 million Waikoloa affordable housing project, but battles continue on several other legal fronts.

11/29/10 Honolulu - Construction costs stable - Economists think the building industry will recover in late 2011

11/25/10 Big Island - Price doubles, hope fades for S. Kona police station - The estimated cost of the South Kona Police Station has more than doubled, leading to doubts the project can be completed as quickly as planned.

11/22/10 Big Island - Texas firm to take over land - A Texas real estate development firm active in Hawaii has positioned itself to take over unsold pieces of a luxury home subdivision on the Big Island started by former HBO Chief Executive Michael Fuchs.

11/12/10 Kona - Affordable-housing plan needs county's OK - The state Land Use Commission has provided conditional approval for urbanizing 272 acres on the Big Island, advancing a plan to develop 2,330 homes initiated by the state to provide work-force housing.

11/09/10 Hilo - Charter school project advances - After a yearlong delay for redesign, Connections Public Charter School is moving forward with its master plan for a $20 million, 90,000-square-foot campus on state land in upper Hilo.

11/09/10 Big Island - Site sought for Kona judiciary complex - Wanted: Seven acres or more state land, close to the central commercial and population center of Kailua-Kona, with a slope no greater than 10 percent, preferably unoccupied property but with land classification and county zoning that won't require any changes.

11/07/10 Big Island - South Kona police station passes environmental hurdle - The long-promised South Kona Police Station moved another step forward with the release of a final environmental assessment...

11/06/10 Kona - LUC denies Ooma development - For the third time, the state Land Use Commission rejected a boundary amendment petition for the land mauka of the shoreline and south of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii.

11/01/10 Oahu - Group to buy cultural site from builder - A developer of land in Hawaii Kai agrees to sell a 5-acre parcel to a community hui.

10/28/10 Oahu - Honolulu gains construction jobs - Honolulu was one of 56 metropolitan areas to add construction jobs during the month of September

10/28/10 Big Island - Builders say proposed new codes will boost price of homes - New state building code requirements are expected to further increase already high construction prices on the island.

10/27/10 Kona - Right on schedule - County says new civic center on time and on budget

10/20/10 Honolulu - Queen Emma site set for conversion - A Maui-based contractor plans to convert a downtown Honolulu midrise office building into a residential condominium for seniors.

10/20/10 Maui - County Council approves Kula Ridge project - Maui County Council members voted 6-2 late Tuesday to approve the Kula Ridge project that promises to bring 59 affordable housing units for senior citizens and single families.

10/16/10 Big Island - County looks to float $56 million in bonds - An expanded and upgraded Waiohinu transfer station is one of 13 construction projects Mayor Billy Kenoi wants Hawaii County to finance with a $56 million loan.

10/15/10 Oahu - Plan drawn for Kakaako land - A framework for how to use 36.5 acres of mostly vacant state land next to Kewalo Basin in Kakaako has finally been shaped after nearly three years of work by state planners and the public.

10/13/10 Honolulu - UH Cancer Center suit settled for $2.5M - The Board of Regents still needs to approve the payout as the long-stalled project prepares to break ground this month.

10/08/10 Kauai - Deal signed for Kauai solar farm - The project would generate enough energy to power more than 850 homes

10/07/10 Oahu - General Growth stays course with Kakaako - The owner of Ward Centers yesterday said it remains committed to a long-term plan for redeveloping the 60-acre retail complex in Kakaako into a dense urban village.

10/07/10 Kona - Medical facility rezoning moves forward - The Hawaii County Council on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a rezoning allowing a group of investors to build a medical office complex and doctor's dormitory on 3.7 acres of residential land adjacent to Kona Community Hospital.

10/06/10 Big Island - No pay for permits, exempt from rules - Developers of a proposed affordable housing development don't want to pay any permitting fees, have their work looked over by county inspectors or even pay tipping fees at the county landfill.

10/06/10 Kona - New control tower on schedule - Work on a new $39 million air traffic control tower at Kona International Airport is progressing on schedule, airport District Manager Chauncey Wong Yuen said.

10/05/10 Kona - Ooma hearing carries on - Some West Hawaii residents have called Ooma Beachside Village "the wrong place at the wrong time."

10/01/10 Kona - Development proposals garner split recommendations - The Leeward Planning Commission split on one proposed development north of Pualani Estates, and sent two proposals to the Hawaii County Council with partial favorable recommendations Thursday morning.

09/30/10 Kona - Planners to consider three subdivision plans - Three landowners north of Pualani Estates have all filed petitions with the Leeward Planning Commission asking for a state land use boundary amendment and zoning changes.

09/30/10 Kona - Laiopua 2020 scales back center plans - Groundwork for a scaled-back Laiopua Community Center just south of Kealakehe High School could begin as early as July 2011 if local charity Laiopua 2020 can secure $9.8 million to get work under way.

09/30/10 Honolulu - Construction of Safeway to start by end of 2010 - The company will also widen Piikoi Street to accommodate the new Beretania location.

09/28/10 Kona - Kaloko Makai brought forward again - A 5,000-home subdivision mauka of Kaloko Industrial Area is being brought forward again.

09/24/10 Kawaihea - Big Island Carbon will get $5M loan guarantee - Big Island Carbon will receive a $5 million loan guarantee to help it complete the construction of a $25 million manufacturing plant in Kawaihae, according to announcement from Sen. Daniel Inouye’s office.

09/24/10 Maui - Hard to find housing — Kula Ridge backers - Opponents cite road safety, water, desecration concerns

09/17/10 Oahu - 'Cluster' home project causes stir - Some neighbors fear the Hawaii Kai plans would ruin their views, spurring a legal threat

09/17/10 Kona - Makalei station bids to go out by end of year - Construction bids for the long-awaited Makalei Fire Station should go out by the end of this year, Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira told Rotary Club of Kona members on Thursday.

09/17/10 Kona - State in no hurry to start on second phase of Ane Keohokalole - Phase 1 of Ane Keohokalole Highway, also known as the midlevel road, is expected to be completed in a little more than a year. But don't expect Phase 2 to begin anytime soon.

09/15/10 Big Island - Waikoloa Workforce Housing - CEO: How Hawaii County officials sabotaged affordable housing project

09/15/10 Maui - Alexander & Baldwin plans 2,550 more homes - Alexander & Baldwin Inc. has petitioned the Hawaii state Land Use Commission to reclassify 545 acres on Maui for a housing development, according to a filing from the Land Use Commission.

09/14/10 South Kohala - More time sought to build Big Isle homes - The developer of a $1 billion master-planned community on the Big Island is seeking more time to meet a deadline for delivering affordable homes, though a state agency opposes the move.

09/10/10 Oahu - E. Kapolei mall plans delayed again - The developer must fix land use and lease issues before work on the project can begin.

09/10/10 Oahu - Sunset Homes' owner going ahead with North Shore project - Juliana Simone, owner of Sunset Homes, is moving ahead with plans to develop Anahulu Centre, a three-story commercial building along Kamehameha Highway on Oahu’s North Shore.

09/03/10 Honolulu - Walsh Construction awarded NOAA contract - Walsh Construction Co. has been awarded a $131.9 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for construction of part of its new facility at Ford Island in Honolulu.

09/03/10 Oahu - 57 Builders Ltd. gets Ewa Beach fire station contract - The Ocean Pointe Fire Station will replace the current Ewa Beach Fire Station and is estimated to cost $4.6 million.

09/01/10 Maui - Work force housing part of Makena resort plans - New owners will keep hotel open, back off ‘uber-luxury’

08/31/10 Kona - Meeting slated for highway widening project - The DOT is hosting a public information meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria. Goodfellow Bros. Inc. won the $76 million contract to widen 5.2 miles of highway, from Kealakehe Parkway to Kona International Airport.

08/28/10 Kona - Public offers resounding 'no' to Lyman's condo - Once again, West Hawaii residents brought a simple, clear message to a governmental planning body: Enough already.

08/27/10 Big Island - Construction lifts Big Isle economy - Building projects there include a retail center, a biodiesel plant and a 3-mile-long highway

08/25/10 Molokai - Groundbreaking occurs for Community Health Center - Gov. Linda Lingle and Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye were among those attending the groundbreaking ceremony earlier this week for the Molokai Community Health Center.

08/10/10 Honolulu - UH Hilo building wins design award - Although it has yet to be built, the Hawaiian language building at the University of Hawaii Hilo has received a 2010 American Institute of Architects Honolulu Design award.

08/10/10 Kona - Ooma not for sale - Ooma Beachside Village is not for sale, a consultant for the development told a commission Monday.

07/28/10 Honolulu - HDR/Hawaii Pacific Engineers wins rail transit design contract - The city of Honolulu has awarded a $5.5 million design contract for three rail transit stations to HDR/Hawaii Pacific Engineers.

07/28/10 South Kohala - Aina Lea developer denies project falling behind - In newsletter, Wessels strikes back at media; Subcontractors still say they're not being paid

07/22/10 Kona - Subdivision proposed by unbuilt Alii Highway - Planners to view request at Friday meeting in Kona

07/22/10 Kona - Ane Keohokalole Highway - Road progressing despite work hiatus for bats

07/20/10 Kona - Way cleared for highway design - From harbor to airport, Queen Kaahumanu going 4-lane

07/18/10 Maui - Olowalu town EIS process firing up - Developers readying to seek state permits for 636-acre, 1,500-home W. Maui project

07/16/10 Kona - DOT lays out requirements for Ooma - Opposition still strong to proposed development

07/14/10 Big Island - 'Leftover' stimulus funds to pay for road projects - About $5 million in "leftover" stimulus funding awarded to construct the first phase of the proposed Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kona will be used to fund two other West Hawaii road projects.

07/14/10 Hilo - HCC building will get 'living roof'

07/14/10 Honolulu - Work starts on Alapai Transit Center

07/13/10 Oahu - Wind-energy project breaks ground

07/12/10 Honolulu - Queen's Health Systems to renovate Hawaii Medical Library building

07/12/10 Honolulu - Architects Hawaii Ltd. improves in magazine rankings

07/07/10 Kona - Near nonexistent highway, more development proposed

07/01/10 Big Island - Shopping center is planned for Hilo

07/01/10 South Kohala - Aina Lea 'So many excuses'

06/29/10 Kona - County breaks ground for first phase of transitional housing

06/25/10 Honolulu - City makes $195M deal for train depot

06/21/10 Oahu - Craig Realty Group partnering with developer to expand Kapolei Commons

06/21/10 Maui - REDEVELOPING WAILUKU TOWN