Building Momentum in Honolulu

The City and County of Honolulu has selected EAH Housing as the preferred negotiating partner for the redevelopment of 436 Ena Road, an eight-story building just off Kalākaua Avenue in Waikīkī.

Originally purchased by the City in 2018 for $7.5 million to provide 33 studio apartments for low-income and homeless residents, the building sat vacant after tenants were relocated due to extensive structural and code compliance issues that required repairs beyond what the building could sustain while occupied.
Under a long-term ground lease, EAH Housing will partner with Core Tech (co-developer) and Lowney Architecture (project architect) to completely transform this underutilized site into long-term, affordable rental homes in one of Oʻahu's most supply-constrained markets. The redevelopment offers a second chance to deliver meaningful housing in Waikīkī, this time with the infrastructure, planning, and investment needed for long-term success.

The project now moves into exclusive negotiations, community engagement, and planning phases as the development team finalizes the development agreement with the City.

EAH Housing has been selected as the City's preferred negotiating partner to lead the redevelopment of the nearly four-acre Iwilei Center site adjacent to the future Kūwili Skyline Station. The transformational mixed-use development is expected to deliver between 750 and 1,000 affordable and workforce homes, along with neighborhood-serving retail, community amenities, and transit-connected public spaces.

Iwilei Center is more than a housing project—it's a chance to help shape a complete, transit-connected neighborhood that will serve families for generations," said Karen Seddon, Regional Vice President of EAH Housing. "We're committed to delivering high-quality, long-term, affordable, and workforce homes that reflect the City's vision and truly benefit the community.

The Iwilei Center redevelopment is a cornerstone of the City's broader strategy to transform the Iwilei–Kapālama district into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood supported by significant public investments in housing, infrastructure, and transit. This effort builds on more than 15 years of community planning, including the Downtown Neighborhood TOD Plan adopted in 2020 and the Kalihi Neighborhood TOD Plan adopted in 2017.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape urban Honolulu," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "The Iwilei Center redevelopment reflects strong alignment across city departments and our state and federal partners as we modernize infrastructure, improve mobility, and prepare this corridor for thousands of new homes. EAH Housing brings the experience and vision needed to help build a vibrant, transit-connected community."

Kevin D. Auger, Director-Designate of the Department of Housing and Land Management, emphasized the importance of strategic alignment: "EAH understands that this is neighborhood-building, not just site development. This is exactly what DHLM was built to do—align public land, infrastructure investment, and development timing to deliver long-term community benefit."

The Iwilei Center redevelopment is part of a coordinated, multimillion-dollar master planning effort for the Kūwili and Niuhelewai station areas, led by DTL, BDP Quadrangle, SSFM International, and Nippon Koei. This district-wide planning work will guide future development and support the long-term delivery of thousands of homes in a walkable, connected neighborhood.

The project will now move into community engagement, environmental review, land-use approvals, and financial structuring. Planning and design work will continue over the next year, with updates provided at key milestones, including engagement with the Neighborhood Board, public meetings, and Honolulu City Council review.