LIHU‘E — Embarking on a new wave of sustainable living, Grove Farm Co. is developing the first walkable “smart growth community” on island, President and Chief Executive Officer Warren Haruki said Friday. Wailani, or “heavenly water,” will feature a grocery
LIHU‘E — Embarking on a new wave of sustainable living, Grove Farm Co. is developing the first walkable “smart growth community” on island, President and Chief Executive Officer Warren Haruki said Friday.
Wailani, or “heavenly water,” will feature a grocery store, movie theater, bank and YWCA among the many businesses to be located just a few steps from residents’ front doors.
“This will be a huge lifestyle improvement,” Haruki said.
The first phase of the project — “one of the largest construction projects in the foreseeable future” — will be bounded by Kapule Highway and Ahukini Road on some 130 acres of land near the judiciary building in Lihu‘e, he said.
The buildings will be mixed use with offices and retail outlets on the ground floor and residential units on the upper floor. Single family homes and affordable housing units are among the “variety of living options” which will be available for kama‘aina.
The entire neighborhood development will likely be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, which covers a “host” of environmentally friendly criteria to comply with, Haruki said.
Permeable pavement which filters water to the soil below, non-potable water for landscaping and public areas, as well as renewable energy systems are among the many green initiatives the project will include, he said.
While it is unknown at this time how many employees will be needed to complete Wailani or just how much the entire project will cost, it will undoubtedly stimulate the island’s economy, Haruki said.
The “next milestone” for the company will be filing for final subdivision approval this summer, Haruki said.
Depending on how long the approval takes, Haruki said it is possible they will break ground by late 2011. The entire concept will not come to fruition for another eight to 10 years, he said.
Haruki will be unveiling more details to community members during this month’s Lihu‘e Business Association meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m., Thursday, at Duke’s Canoe Club in Kalapaki.
