One Bay Drive, Kapalua, Maui, is the address of the highly anticipated residential development called The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, Kapalua Bay.
This newest addition to the upscale, tropical lifestyle of the Kapalua Resort area is located on 24 oceanfront acres fronting the white sand beaches of Kapalua Bay and close to world-class golf courses, dining options that range from island style casual to five-star restaurants and a myriad of activities. It is unique in more ways than one, from its unparalleled setting to its residential offerings.

An Uncommon Development

Nordic PCL Construction began work in November of 2006, with the facility opening on May 30, 2009.

George Burkards, construction manager for Nordic PCL, fills us in on the details of the overall project, which encompasses eight buildings totaling approximately 800,000 square feet. “New building construction (consisted) of 62 timeshare units (fractional ownership residences), approximately 2,700 square feet per unit; 84 (wholly owned) private residences, approximately 4,500 square feet per unit; plus a spa, beach club, arrivals building with a grand porte-cochere and other amenities,” he explains. In addition to the European type spa and beach club, the other amenities include an ocean bar, pools and water features and lush landscaping.

“Below-grade parking structures are located under three of the buildings,” Burkards reports, “with a combined total of 159 stalls.”

In more technical input, Burkards says, “Timeshare units are constructed in two cast-in-place, post-tensioned structures—one five stories and one six stories. The private residences are constructed in four new cast-in-place, post-tensioned structures ranging from three to six stories.”

Challenges and Solutions

The project had a couple of unusual challenges, which ultimately were satisfactorily resolved.

The first was a project delay, Burkards explains, due to the discovery of archaeological remains. “Nordic PCL encountered remains two months into the project,” he says, “that essentially impacted the entire project’s completion. Nordic PCL worked alongside the Hawaiian Burial Council to ensure that the remains were properly handled. We also worked to develop constructive methods to minimize the overall impact to the schedule for the owner.”

A second challenge was the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the majority lender. “When the project was approximately 70 percent complete,” says Burkards, “Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, which sent the project into a sea of uncertainty as to whether or not it would or could continue to move forward. In order to keep the project moving and to help the owner out of its financial situation, Nordic PCL stepped in to help finance a portion of the project. This enabled it to keep moving forward without skipping a beat.”

The Team

The owner of The Residences & Ritz Carlton Club at Kapalua Bay is Kapalua Bay, LLC: Ritz Carlton Development Group, Maui Land & Pine (MLP) and Exclusive Resorts. The project was designed by WCIT Architecture with Nordic PCL as general contractor. Subs and suppliers included: Acoustical Material Services; Acutron Co., Inc.; Alakai Mechanical Corp.; Alcal Hawaii Roofing & Waterproofing; Alexander Brothers, Ltd.; All Pool & Spa, Inc.; Aloha Painting Co., Inc.; Aloha Waste Systems, Inc.; AMSCO; American Standard Concrete Pumping; AML & ATS, Inc. dba Valley Isle Fencing; Applied Surfacing Technology; Aristocratic Cabinets; Bay Foam, Inc.; Bayview Millwork, Inc.; Bella Pietra; Blazemasters Fire Protection, LLC; Bobby Aghakhani dba BA Marble & Granite; Bruce Matson Co., Inc.; Bucher Glass, Inc.; Bug Man Termite & Pest Control, Inc.; Cell-Crete Corp.; Custom Drywall; Crystal Cabinet Works, Inc.; Distinctive Wood Designs, Inc.; Division X, Inc.; East & West Aluminum Craft Hawaii, Ltd.; Elliot W. Lane dba Lane’s Carpet Service; Endo Painting Service Inc.; Enviroglas, LLC; Goodfellow Bros. Inc.; Haas Insulation; Hale Tropical Living; Hamai Appliance; Hansen Architectural Systems; Hawaiian Cement; Industrial Group; Interior Design Solutions; Interknobs.com; Island International LLC; Island Pacific Distributors Inc.; KDI Elements; Kealoha Construction, Inc.; Kihei Gardens & Landscaping Co.; Kokomo Drywall & Acoustic, Inc.; L.M. Nishida Weatherproofing, Inc.; Laau Structures, Inc.; Lavi Industries; Layout Etc., Inc.; Lite Electric, Inc.; Maui Paving LLC; McClone Construction Co.; McCoy Sauna & Steam; Minibar Systems; National Safe Co. of America, Inc.; Northwest Tower Crane Service, Inc.; Ohana Architectural Precast, LLC; Ono Construction, LLC; Orlando Flooring Solutions, Inc.; Pacific Allied Products, Ltd,; Pacific American Lumber; Pacific Architectural Millwork; Pacific Aquascapes, Inc.; Pacific Building Materials, Inc.; Pacific Resources LLC; Pacific Lumber & Plywood; Pella Architectural Products, Inc.; Precision Surveys, Ltd.; ProTek Systems, Inc.; QN Electric, Inc.; Railex Corp.; Riggs Distributing; Salsbury Industries; Schindler Elevator Corp.; Servco Home and Appliance Distribution; Servcorp International; Smith & Hawken; South Pacific Steel Corp.; Standard Sheetmetal & Mechanical Inc.; Stone Yard, Inc.; Sub-Zero/Wolf; Surface Solutions Inc.; The Bale Maker; Timberland Hawaii, Inc.; Tropical Garden Accents; Urban MG Inc.; Walker Industries, Ltd.; Western Fire and Safety; Western Overhead Door Co. and Williams Pacific.