Groundbreaking Held for Airport Garage

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) broke ground on Sept. 18 for a new 1,800-stall parking garage at the Honolulu International Airport, which currently has 4,500 stalls.

The $39.2 million, eight-story structure, being built by Dick Pacific Construction Co., Ltd., involves constructing a third airport garage on the site of the current open-air parking lot between the interisland and overseas terminals. RIM Architects designed the project, which is part of the DOT’s $2.3 billion, 12-year Airports Modernization Plan.

Rendering of the 1,800-stall parking garage

 Gov. Linda Lingle; Barry Fukunaga, director of the DOT; and other state leaders participated in September’s groundbreaking ceremony for the new parking lot at the Honolulu International Airport.

“We believe this new airport parking garage will alleviate the parking shortage for both the traveling public and airport employees as well as help make the airport more efficient and convenient for residents and visitors,” says Gov. Linda Lingle.

The eight-story garage will be connected to the interisland terminal garage on the top level by a bridge designed to accommodate two lanes of traffic as well as walkways for pedestrians.

“The interisland parking area tends to fill up the quickest, so having the new parking structure connect with the interisland garage will provide easy access to the interisland terminal,” says Barry Fukunaga, DOT director.

Besides the new structure, the project also involves converting an existing employee parking lot into a public parking lot to minimize the loss of public parking stalls during the construction work. The DOT is working with parking operator AMPCO System Parking to relocate the displaced employees to other employee lots.

Completion is expected in December 2008.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Lingle released over $75 million for improvements at the Oahu airport. A portion of the funds will go toward the parking structure. Other projects include construction of an inline explosive detection system (EDS) at four ticket lobbies in the overseas terminal and a stand-along EDS at Ticket Lobby 6 of the same terminal as well as the replacement and relocation of the airport’s Diamond Head chiller plant.

“Honolulu International Airport is our state’s busiest gateway,” adds Lingle. “Its modernization is key to ensuring the long-term vitality of traveling to Hawaii and between our islands. These projects will go a long way in improving the safety and efficiency of the airport for residents and visitors as well as for the people who work at the airport.”

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Actus Focuses on Community Giving

Actus Lend Lease donated more than $150,000 in material and labor to five community organizations on Sept. 28 during the company’s annual Community Day, a program that encourages community service among employees.

Over 150 employees from Actus, its project companies, Army Hawaii Family Housing and Hickam Community Housing, and its subcontractors volunteered to clean, repair, paint, install equipment and do general maintenance at Camp Mokuleia, Kunia Village, U.S. Veterans Facility at Barbers Point, and Kahuku and Waipahu high schools.

Volunteers at Kahuku High School painted buildings, parking lots, curbs and benches.

At Mokuleia, one of the larger projects that day, work included building decks, installing an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramp, replacing doors and windows, painting and clearing brush. Volunteers at Kunia Village power-washed and painted the interior and exterior of the community gym, replaced bathroom light and plumbing fixtures, repaired railings and did other general maintenance work. An accessible ramp and canopy roof were built at U.S. Vets along with painting and signage, and the schools received general repair and maintenance work as well.

“Community Day has been a great opportunity for our employees and subcontractors to get involved with the local community,” says Steven Goraczkowski, regional operations manager – construction for Actus.

Over 100 volunteers helped to renovate and refurbish several buildings at Camp Mokuleia during Actus’ Community Day.

Subcontractor companies who also participated in the event include Akahi Services, Bobby K Construction, Delta Construction Corp., DME Construction, Inc., Electrical Contractors Hawaii, Endo Painting Service, Inc., Ferguson Enterprises, Glad’s Landscaping, Hawaiian Cement, The Home Depot, Honsador Lumber LLC, Jade Painting, K&R Plumbing, M. Watanabe Electrical, Pro Care, ProTech Roofing, RA Machine Shop, RM Nakamura Plumbing, Sunrise Construction, Worthington Industries.

The annual event is not unique to Hawaii. The company organizes a Community Day wherever it has a presence. Each year approximately 4,000 employees from 18 countries have volunteered their time to more than 200 projects. The Hawaii event has been held since 2005 and has benefited other organizations, such us Halau Ku Mana, a Native Hawaiian charter school, and Waimea Valley Audubon Center.

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A&B Sells Don Quixote Property

The Don Quijote site (low rise building in lower center of photo) sold for $45.5 million. Photo by Ed Gross

A&B Properties, Inc., the real estate subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., closed the sale of a four-acre parcel in Honolulu to Don Quijote (USA), the previous ground lease holder, on Sept. 14. The plot sold for $45.5 million.

“Don Quijote’s unsolicited offer allowed us to capture the property’s embedded intrinsic value well ahead of our original schedule,” says Stanley Kuriyama, A&B Properties CEO. “We purchased this property in 2005 with the intent to redevelop it upon the ground lease termination in 2018. However, this transaction both allows A&B to realize the financial benefits from its investment and Don Quijote to achieve its strategic and operating goals, on an accelerated timeline.”

The 176,000-square-foot property is located within one of Honolulu’s strongest urban cores, Kapiolani Boulevard. “The transaction validates the continued strength of commercial markets in Hawaii,” adds Kuriyama

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Hawaii Self Storage Celebrates Community Blessings

On Sept. 29 Hawaii Self Storage joined with Hawaii Literacy and Waianae’s Ohana Ola O Kahumana in separate blessings for a new bookmobile and expansion project.

Hawaii Self Storage helped celebrate the dedication of Hawaii Literacy’s new bookmobile.

Hawaii Literacy runs the bookmobile, which makes three stops twice a week in Waianae. The bookmobile lends out books and educational games to people who may not be able to get to a library. One of the stops is at Ohana Ola O Kahumana Center, which recently expanded its transitional housing center by adding 48 new two and three-bedroom units for homeless transitioning to renting. In addition, the expansion includes  administrative offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, a certified kitchen, childcare center and a volleyball court on the Waianae Coast. 

Owned by MW Group, Ltd., Hawaii Self Storage supports Hawaii Literacy’s many programs through an annual book drive at each of its three storage locations (Kaimuki, Pearl City and Salt Lake). For the book drive, which kicked off Oct. 1 this year, Hawaii Self Storage will offer a $2 credit toward a customer’s next month locker rental for each new or gently-used book or educational game donated during the drive. Hawaii Self Storage also runs the Lockers to Literacy outreach program that delivered 1,715 books to 11 public elementary schools this year. Through this program, which is being implemented with the help of Read To Me International, $2 from every new locker rental is donated to a fund that is used to purchase books. As Hawaii Self Storage increases in locations (and subsequent locker rentals) this fund is expected to grow by 2008 to about $18,000/year, vastly increasing the students it impacts.

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Dietrich Hawaii Earns Safety Award

Worthington Industries, Inc., recently awarded its Dietrich Metal Framing in Kapolei with the company’s Safe Works Chairman’s Award for zero injuries in fiscal year 2007.

“Our company-wide safety goal is zero injuries,” says John P. McConnell, chairman and CEO of Worthington Industries, an Ohio-based metal processing company. “As one of 13 Worthington Industries facilities that have exceeded the milestone of one year injury-free, Dietrich Kapolei employees have proven that zero injuries is possible, and they have taken the company’s safety performance to a new level.”

The annual Safe Works award program, launched in June 2006, honors employees’ contributions to an improved safety culture and encourages continued commitment to the company-wide goal of zero injuries. The Safe Works Chairman’s Award recognizes facilities that achieve one year with zero OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) recordable and zero OSHA Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) injuries.

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Ground-Breaking Industry Event

For the first time in industry history, the AIA (American Institute of Architects, Honolulu Chapter), BIA (Building Industry Association of Hawaii) and CSI (Construction Specifications Institute, Honolulu chapter) partnered to offer a joint networking event, held last month at the Honolulu Country Club.

Top: Peter Vincent, AIA president; Timothy Hiu, City & County of Honolulu; Bottom: Paul Kane, CSI; Bob Bruhl, D.R. Horton, Schuler Division; and Rick Prahler, Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii.

Speakers included Peter Vincent, president of AIA, who addressed “AIA’s Upcoming Projects,” Paul Kane from CSI, speaking on “CSI MasterFormat 2004” and Timothy Hiu, acting chief, City & County of Honolulu, Building Department. The developer panel included Bob Bruhl, vice president, Oahu development group, D.R. Horton, Schuler Division and Rick Prahler, director of development for Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii.
Hiu discussed the City & County of Honolulu’s efforts over the past few years to adopt a new building code and emphasized that the four county building chiefs, state agency representatives and industry association representatives meet monthly in a continuing effort “to have a coordinated building code for the entire state.”

Bruhl and Prahler presented updates on their respective companies’ current and planned developments.

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GCA Hits the Green

The General Contractors Association of Hawaii held its annual golf tournament on Aug. 3 at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club. The tournament format was three-person scramble, with each player requiring a minimum of four tee shots and an automatic two-putt maximum.
More than 250 players participated, organized into three-person teams. The tournament was won by the S&M Sakamoto team of Ryan Yoneda, Kelvin Sato and Beau Yokomoto.

Ryan Yoneda and his team, playing for S&M Sakamoto, won first place.

 Gordon Cosier of Cosier Construction enjoys the limelight after hitting a hole-in-one.

Star of the tournament was Gordon Cosier who hit a hole-in-one on the last hole and won $1,000.

Awards were made at a dinner and reception held that evening at the Bird of Paradise restaurant.

The tournament was sponsored by some of the best-known names in the industry, including Atlas Construction Services, Dick Pacific Construction, Grace Pacific Corporation, Hawthorne Pacific Corporation and Kiewit Pacific Company. Many other sponsors also contributed.

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Affordable Salt Lake Condo Going Up

Construction is expected to begin this month on Country Club Village 6, a 17-story condominium in Salt Lake. It will be the sixth building in the Country Club Village community.

Being developed by Salt Lake, LLC, the project is designed to add workforce housing to the area. The 269 one and two-bedroom units, which went on sale in September, are priced from $218,000 to $397,000.

Rendering of Country Club Village 6, designed by Kazu Yato & Associates and being built by Hawaiian Dredging

The apartments will offer views of the golf course, Moanalua Valley and Diamond Head. Amenities include a recreation center in the building as well as access to the community’s swimming pool, park, walking paths and other common-area facilities.

Besides the condominium tower, a separate, elevated 540-stall parking structure also will be built. The general contractor for the project is Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc.

The buildings are designed to blend in with the rest of the development. The architect is Kazu Yato & Associates, Inc.

Occupancy is scheduled for early 2009.

The trio that makes up the development firm — Ken Matsuura, Vito Galati and Marshall Hung — previously built the 215 N. King St. tower known as the Downtown Affordables.

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Carl Hebenstreit Inducted Into HPA Hall of Fame

Trade Publishing Company’s own Carl “Kini Popo” Hebenstreit was inducted into the Hawaii Publishers Association (HPA) Hall of Fame on Sept. 13. The ceremony was part of the association’s annual Print Media Day expo held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

In his brief thank-you speech — four minutes exactly, as planned — Hebenstreit bequeathed to HPA President Scott Schumaker one of the most bizarre objects he probably has acquired over the years — a real WWII torpedo (defused). The battered, 9-foot black tube, currently inscribed with names and comments of past and present Trade employees, has played a significant role in Trade’s colorful past. The gift was accepted wryly with a heartfelt offer to return it, which was declined.

Carl “Kini Popo” Hebenstreit

Following Hebenstreit’s induction, a panel of guest speakers discussed the importance of marketing and branding. They included Larry Lanning of Hardware Hawaii, Carlton Kramer of Hilo Hattie and Jon Rasmussen of Cutter Ford.

The HPA Hall of Fame was launched in 1986 to honor those who have made notable contributions to Hawaii publishing. As Trade’s long-time owner and guiding spirit, Hebenstreit is a worthy recipient. His service to the industry covers more than half a century. He is a past president of the association, winner of the Hawaii Advertising Federation/American Advertising Federation Silver Medal (its highest honor), and in 2005 was featured among Honolulu magazine’s 100 Most Influential Citizens of the past 100 years. Prior to print, Hebenstreit was known for hosting Hawaii’s first television variety show, where he acquired his nickname, “Kini Popo.”

Kini has built Trade into the successful company it is today, with a range of quality magazines and an appreciative readership throughout the islands.

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Kauai County Receives Army Award

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) honored the County of Kauai with an award for its Waimea flood control project in the category of Most Improved Maintenance project.

The project was overseen by the high- way maintenance division of the Kauai County Department of Public Works.

To address the issues raised by the COE about the maintenance of the Waimea project, the county completed the following: removed encroachments, cleared unwanted vegetation, repaired flood gates, repaired rock revetment on the face of the levee, installed gates to limit access to the top of the levee, and reconstructed slopes to bring them back to their proper heights.

For its work on this Waimea flood control project, Kauai County earned an Army award.

“The amount of work and effort that it took for the Kauai County Public Works crew to correct all the deficiencies was phenomenal,” said Lincoln Gayagas, who oversees the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program for the COE in the Honolulu district. “(The county) took the Waimea project from the inactive list due to lack of maintenance and turned it into a very well maintained project in record time.” With its completion, the Waimea project (along with a Hanapepe flood control project) has been promoted from the unacceptable to the active list effective in early October.

Gayagas also noted that although the levees were on the unacceptable list, at no time did they pose a threat of imminent failure to the public.

The Waimea project was selected from a total of 26 flood control projects under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps including Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.

County Engineer Donald Fujimoto expressed his appreciation for the hard work that his staff put into both the Waimea and Hanapepe projects. “I have to thank our maintenance crews, especially the Hanapepe Baseyard staff, for accomplishing what they did,” said Fujimoto. “They took ownership of the projects and ran with it.”

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Mililani Affordable Rentals Complete

Gov. Linda Lingle (far right) and Harry Saunders (third from right) welcome the first residents to The Courtyards at Mililani Mauka.

A dedication and blessing was held on Sept. 21 for The Courtyards at Mililani Mauka, an affordable rental project made possible through a public-private partnership. The organizations involved include Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc., the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) and Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation (PHAC), a private, nonprofit housing corporation.

The state contributed $10.1 million in federal and state low-income tax housing credits over 10 years to help finance the project. In return, the project will remain at affordable rates for 30 years. Castle & Cooke provided the land, equity financing and construction; and PHAC is responsible for rental management and operations.

The $11.6 million project consists of six two-story buildings featuring 12 one-, 24 two- and 12 three-bedroom units. The total of 48 units rent for $737 to $1,008 and are aimed at families whose income is at or below 60 percent of Oahu’s median income, equal to $44,700 a year and below for a family of four.

“We’re proud to be a part of this partnership to help Hawaii’s families with affordable rentals,” says Harry Saunders, president of Castle & Cooke. “It’s interesting to note that over 40 years ago when we began planning Mililani, we had always envisioned a mix of residential opportunities. Now that Castle & Cooke is approaching the completion of Mililani, we have stayed true to this vision.”

Rendering of a multiplex from The Courtyards at Mililani Mauka

The first tenants of The Courtyards were treated to a tour of the units and a reception by Saunders and Gov. Linda Lingle. Many of them were excited to get their first peek at one of the units since they had only seen floor plans earlier, and some shared that it would be their first “new” home they will be moving into.

“The state will continue to offer more incentives and find new ways for private and nonprofit developers to build affordable housing statewide,” says Lingle, who attended the ceremony along with Dan Davidson, HHFDC executive director; Marvin Awaya PHAC executive director, Saunders and other dignitaries.

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Sub-Zero Begins Work on New Warehouse

Robert Riggs (far right), president and CEO of The Westye Group West, Inc. participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking with Geoff Culhane (far left) and Dwight Burdick (second from left) of Dwight D. Burdick Construction and Bob McFarlane of Dura Constructors, Inc., a subcontractor to Burdick that will be providing the pre-engineered Butler building for the project as well as completing the foundation work. Photo courtesy of Sub-Zero Wolf

Sub-Zero/Wolf held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 28 for its new warehouse in Waipahu in the area known as Mill Town.

The 11,000-square-foot facility will serve as the distribution center for Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, accessories and parts statewide. The order desk and part departments will relocate from the Sub-Zero/Wolf Honolulu showroom to the new warehouse when completed. No showroom is planned for the Waipahu facility.

The distribution center will sit on a 32,000-square-foot lot purchased several years ago in anticipation of increasing sales for the luxury line of appliances and the need for more accessible storage.

“This new warehouse facility will further allow our distributorship the opportunity to provide unsurpassed service to our customers and local service providers,” says Robert P. Riggs, president and CEO of The Westye Group West, Inc., distributor for Sub-Zero/Wolf in Hawaii, California and western Nevada. “It shows our commitment to Hawaii and its bright economic future,” he adds.

The architect for the Waipahu facility is Carlile Coatsworth Architects, Inc., and kamaaina company Dwight D. Burdick Construction is the general contractor. Anticipated completion is May 2008.

Buy Sub-Zero on Kauai

Sub-Zero/Wolf appliances are now available to island residents through American Cabinetry’s new store on Kauai. American Cabinetry, a full-service retail store specializing in kitchen and bath designs, is opening a 1,400-square-foot showroom at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center in Lihue. The grand opening was scheduled for Oct. 6.
The new showroom layout will utilize the suite concept where the latest appliances by Sub-Zero/Wolf will be showcased and the newest in kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom designs will be exhibited. Design services will be offered as well.

“Our showroom was developed to provide design ideas, incorporating custom cabinetry for every room in the house,” says Steve Pak, vice president of American Cabinetry.
“Sub-Zero/Wolf products are not just limited to the kitchen,” says Jean Nakanishi, branch manager of Sub-Zero/Wolf Hawaii. “We offer an array of appliances for any room in the house.”

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Kauai Park Renovations

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources began construction in October on a new comfort station and other improvements to Haena State Park on Kauai.

The comfort station will include accessible fixtures and changing areas, while other improvements include an accessible shower tree, new pathways and other upgrades.

Located at the end of Kuhio Highway, the park will remain open during renovations.

The contractor for the comfort station replacement project is Colin & Dillon Construction.
Expected to be completed by June 2008, the project is being done at a cost of $432,000.

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Kauai Gets LEED Professional

Gary Siracusa, vice president of business development for Unlimited Construction Services, Inc., recently earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. He is Kauai’s first LEED-accredited professional and one of Hawaii’s few contractors to earn the designation.

Gary Siracusa

“The pragmatic issues of building green require knowledge of how to attain those goals, and the LEED program is very focused on that,” says Siracua, noting that the expansion of the LEED curriculum in recent years into specific types of structures such as schools and community and residential buildings, will assist Unlimited in building green on all projects.

Unlimited Construction has long focused on building as environmentally sensitively as possible, according to Peter Robson, company president. “We actually do things on our jobsites that go beyond even LEED requirements.” This includes recycling and reusing extra materials such concrete, lumber, steel and glass wherever possible. The company also is having a photovoltaic system installed on the roof of its office headquarters in Lihue.

“Many developers are expressing a desire to become LEED compliant and that’s where Gary can really help,” Robson says. “He can steer them in the right direction.”

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Philip White Builds Green Office

Last month local architectural firm Philip K. White & Associates, Ltd., moved into its new School Street office, designed not only to meet green building requirements but also to serve as as a showroom of sustainable technology.

“Our new offices serve as a ‘living laboratory’ of the potential features that can be incorporated into any home or office,” says Philip White, company president. “Our new School Street offices were designed … to illustrate the design possibilities while being highly conscious of the environment.” Clients will be able to see and test first hand some of the environmentally friendly features they can incorporate into their own building projects.

Begun in August 2006, work entailed completely refurbishing a dilapidated three-story building into viable office space as well as retrofitting it to accommodate a number of green features so as to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. These include waterless urinals, solar panels that will power the elevator and energy-saving light sensors.

The contractor for the project was Sutton Construction. The newly-revived building also will become home to Mary Philpotts’ interior design offices.

“Philip K. White Architects has long believed that environmental awareness and sustainability should be a priority not just for architects, but for everyone,” says Philip K. White, president of Philip K. White Architects. “Creating homes and offices that are appropriate to their surrounding – taking into consideration elements such as lighting and airflow – has always been our practice. … It is rewarding to see the public’s increasing awareness of their natural surroundings here in Hawaii.”

A grand opening of Philip K. White’s new office is planned for later this year.

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