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DHHL outlines Lihue ‘Grow Farm’ project: 260 acres, 1,000 residential lots projected
Summary
DHHL staff said the Grow Farm acquisition in Lihue covers roughly 260 acres and is being planned for about 1,000 residential lots; staff warned the land is raw and that infrastructure and construction could take years and rely on legislative funding and local partnerships.
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands officials described a recent acquisition near Isenberg Park in Lihue — a roughly 260-acre parcel DHHL calls the Grow Farm — and said they are planning the area to accommodate about 1,000 residential lots. Kalani Frondo told attendees the site is raw land with no roads, power, water or wastewater and outlined a staged, multi-year process for study, infrastructure and eventual construction.
"We have an area that we had acquired back in early part of this year... it's a large area, roughly about 260 acres in that central side of Lihue," Frondo said, explaining the department will undertake site studies and infrastructure planning before individual lots are awarded. He said DHHL projects awarding 1,000 residential project leases for the area but that lot-level awards and build-out depend on financing and infrastructure timelines.
Staff acknowledged the timeline is contingent on funding and partnerships. A beneficiary asked whether a five-year timetable for infrastructure is realistic on raw land; Frondo and other staff said they are pursuing multiple financing strategies and urged beneficiaries to provide testimony to the legislature to support funding requests.
DHHL also said it plans to include 100 agricultural lots in the broader Lihue planning and described partnerships with nonprofits and local government to accelerate delivery.
