Shimogawa Scoops

The University of Hawaii has given the green light on a joint venture involving Hawaii's Stanford Carr Development and Texas-based Hunt Cos. to develop 500 acres at the University of Hawaii West Oahu campus in Kapolei into an integrated campus and university village. Last month, the university executed an exclusive negotiation agreement with Carr and Hunt for a term of 12 months. The project includes mixed-use components including retail, restaurants and housing, among others. The university said a presentation on plan options is scheduled for next month.

More than 100 acres of land at University of Hawaii West Oahu's campus could be turned into a major agricultural venture. The University of Hawaii seeks to partner with a commercial agricultural company that can integrate agriculture education and workforce develop into its Sustainable Community Food Systems program. The plan would involve 120 acres of Class "A" ag-zoned lands on UH West Oahu's Mauka property in Kapolei. The university plans to issue an invitation to submit a proposal by the end of the year, according to recently filed public documents.

The University of Hawaii is looking to find a developer to build a new student housing facility that would replace the old National Oceanic  and Atmospheric Administration building on its Manoa campus in Honolulu. In public documents released earlier this month, the university's leadership revealed details of the project that would be built on the little more than two-acre parcel of land at 2560 Dole St., which is zoned for residential use. The property is assessed at $4.8 million, according to tax records. The land alone is valued at $46.87 per square foot. UH said it is in exploratory discussions with potential developers to determine the interest in developing a graduate/married student or facility housing facility. The project also could involve a child-care facility. The university holds the title of the property in fee. A few years ago, NOAA moved its Dole Street operation to Ford Island as part of a bigger consolidation plan involving its other locations across the isl

An Atlanta-based investment advisor has purchased 500 acres of agricultural land on the Big Island of Hawaii for $3.5 million. Domain Capital Advisors, which has more than $4 billion assets under management, paid $7,000 per acre on its purchase of the hundreds of acres at the Kealakekua Heritage Ranch on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. The seller was Tom Pace. The land on Greenwell Mountain Road has a market value of about $2 million, public records show. The land has one improvement, a single-story, 1,412-square-foot home that was built in 1972. There have been several big land purchases by notable Mainland investors in the last several years including Oracle Corp.'s former CEO Larry Ellison's $300 million purchase of 98 percent of the island of Lanai in 2012 and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's more than $100 million purchase of hundreds of oceanfront acres on the island of Kauai. Molokai Ranch, which consists of about 35 percent of the island, is currently lis

A company plans to open two new places for cats to stay while their owners are away, one in Honolulu and another on Maui, public records show. Catnip Hotels LLC was recently formed as a new business in Hawaii. The company is headed by Analie and Craig Weghorst, who also own Off Leash K-9 Training Hawaii LLC. Weghorst also recently formed Catnip Honolulu Hawaii LLC and Catnip Hotel Maui Hawaii LLC. The Honolulu location is scheduled to open soon just outside of the downtown area at the intersection of Queen Emma Street and Iolani Avenue. The catboarding company’s slogan reads: “A place for your cats to stay, while you’re away.” Catnip Hotels joins other such boarding companies on Oahu including The Cat’s Meow Inn, Island Pet Movers, Furever Friends Play and Stay, The Cat Clinic and Cozy Cat Lodge.

A Honolulu general contractor is developing a new mixed-use building on a vacant parcel of land that he purchased earlier this year.  Wai Lun Chan and his wife, Catherine Emiko Chan, purchased the 7,589-square-foot parcel of land at 2114 S. King St. in Honolulu for $1.27 million in February from 2114 S King Corp. The purchase resulted in the couple paying about $168 per square foot for the land. The total assessed value of the land is $1.9 million.  Chan recently filed building permits with Honolulu regulators to build the "James Chan Building" that will include ground floor retail space and storage and a second floor with residential units. The parcel of land, which is one of the only undeveloped parcels in the McCully area, is located next to McCully Bicycle and across the street from a McDonald's restaurant.  Public records show that Chan has ties to Landmark Pacific Builders and JC Building Group.

A newly-opened adventure park in West Oahu is looking to add helicopter tours to its list of attractions. The Coral Crater Adventure Park in Kalaeloa already includes such activities as a full zip line, adventure tower, side-by-side ATVs, King Swing, Free fall and a climbing wall, is the first of its kind on Oahu. Coral Crater Adventure Park, which is located on Hunt Development Co. Land, recently presented plans to the Kalaeloa Public Safety Group regarding its plans to add helicopter tours to its list of activities.  The helicopter is expected to land on an existing 6,000-square-foot AstroTurf area. The adventure park, which was built in a 23-acre former Navy coral quarry owned by Hunt, is headed by James Owen, former president of Discover Hawaii Tours.