D.R. Horton Division Submits Rezoning Request for Hoopili Master-Planned Community; Avalon Launches Sale of 17 Industrial Parcels

By Adriana Pop, Associate Editor

D.R. Horton — Schuler Homes LLC has formally filed a rezoning petition with the city and county of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting for its 11,750-home Hoopili master-planned community in West Oahu.

According to the Pacific Business News, the Texas-based developer is asking officials to change the land-use designation of a 1,289-acre property from agricultural to urban.

Slated to rise on more than 1,500 acres of land between Kapolei, Ewa and Waipahu, the Hoopili development calls for the construction of single- and multi-family homes, commercial and light industrial space, community facilities, parks, open space, three elementary schools, one middle school and a high school.

Approximately 264 acres will be maintained as agricultural and will be used for commercial agriculture, community gardens, open space and infrastructure. Honolulu-based Group 70 International is the designer of the project.

If approved, the new master-planned community could break ground in 2016. Cameron Nekota, the vice president for D.R. Horton — Schuler Homes, told the newspaper that the first homes could be delivered in 2017.

Opponents of the project argue that the Hoopili development is not the right use for the land and that the state cannot afford to give up such a large area of prime agricultural land for urban use. Furthermore, they claim that traffic could become worse in an already congested area.

In other news, Avalon Development Co. held a blessing ceremony for the long-awaited last phase of the Kapolei Business Park in the heart of Oahu’s “Second City.” The company has also put 17 of the property’s fee-simple industrial lots on the market.

“With the blessing of the site, we begin our multimillion-dollar infrastructure construction. We will begin selling lots in this project while we continue constructing the infrastructure – roads, drainage, sewer, electrical and other improvements – to prepare the property so the new lot owners can build a diverse collection of businesses and facilities,” said Avalon president & CEO Christine Camp.

The Pacific Business News reports that Avalon Development purchased the 54-acre Kapolei Business Park Phase 2 in April for an undisclosed price.

Guy Kidder and Scott Mitchell of Colliers International, the real estate brokerage team that handled the original acquisition of the site, are also brokering the sale of the lots, which range from one to four acres.

The parcels are expected to sell quickly, since there are virtually no similar vacant industrial lots on the Oahu market other than in Kapolei.

Delta Construction is in charge, with the initial $12 million increment of the infrastructure project, which is expected to reach a total contract value of approximately $16 million.

Photo credit: Group 70 International