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OHA trustees authorize solicitation for joint-venture partner to advance Kakaʻako Makai redevelopment
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Summary
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs committee authorized staff to issue an RFP/RFQ seeking a joint-venture partner to support redevelopment planning for nine Kakaʻako Makai parcels; the board reserved final approval of any joint venture for a future board action.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Investment and Land Management on Feb. 4 authorized administration to solicit a joint-venture partner to support redevelopment planning for multiple parcels in Kakaʻako Makai.
Lori Walker, OHA legacy land manager, told trustees the agency has invested in Kakaʻako Makai redevelopment for more than a decade and needs outside capital and specialized development expertise to advance large-scale urban projects. “This action item will direct the administration to initiate a solicitation process for a joint venture partner who will bring both capital and expertise to support OHA’s planning and development needs in Kakaʻako going forward,” Walker said.
Real estate consultant Paul Quintiliani emphasized that the action before the committee only authorizes the issuance of a request for proposals or request for qualifications; he said the authority to enter into a joint venture on negotiated terms would be reserved for the board. “This action item only authorizes the issuance of a request for proposal or request for qualifications … The authority to enter the joint venture on terms negotiated will be reserved for the board,” Quintiliani said.
Trustees asked for clarifications about who would oversee the solicitation and how the RFP process would be staffed. Quintiliani and staff said the administration will lead the solicitation, with consultant support available; final business terms and any decision to form a joint venture would return to the board for approval.
The motion to authorize staff to pursue a joint-venture solicitation for lots A, B, C, D1, D2, E, F, G and K in Kakaʻako Makai passed on a roll-call vote; the chair announced the motion passed and recorded trustees’ affirmative votes with one trustee excused.
Why it matters: Kakaʻako Makai is a high-value urban redevelopment area; using a joint-venture model would allow OHA to combine outside capital and development expertise with OHA’s retained oversight over major terms. The solicitation is an early procedural step: it enables OHA to seek partners and begin negotiations but does not commit the agency to a binding deal.
What’s next: Staff will issue the RFP/RFQ and return to the board with recommended business terms and any proposed joint-venture agreement for a separate vote.
