Ke Kilohana: A Sneak Peek at Ward Village’s First Workforce Building

One of the more moderately priced Kaka‘ako condos in Honolulu should be ready for move-in this May.

April 26, 2019

Rachel Ross Bradley,

Renderings: Courtesy of Ward Village

At Ke Kilohana, new homeowners are starting to inspect their future residences, a final step before the building opens this May. You’ve likely spotted it: the tower across Ward Avenue from the old Sports Authority, gray with large yellow boxes on the sides. The latest Ward Village building is a little different in both look and purpose, built with a more moderate-income owner in mind. And those big yellow boxes are sky lānai—oversized lānai that are common areas shared by multiple owners.

Ward Village’s first workforce housing project launched sales with a lottery back in spring 2016. To qualify, one needed an adjusted household income that was no more than 140% of the area mean income at the time: $98,700 for a single person or $140,700 for a family of four. A buyer’s assets could not exceed 125% of the income limit.

“My wife and I are most excited about having everything we would most likely need within a walking distance,” says Matt Endo, a Ke Kilohana homeowner. “We are definitely looking forward to having great restaurants, the movie theater, the beach and everything else only a few minutes away.” Endo says that he and his wife feel very fortunate to have been selected in the lottery and to have the opportunity to be part of the Kaka‘ako neighborhood. “It was a long wait, but it was worth it.”

The building isn’t all workforce. There are 375 workforce units and 49 market-rate units, generally situated on the higher floors. The building is completely sold out, with units featuring kitchens with high-end cabinetry and appliances, a mix of carpet and laminate flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows and air conditioning in every room. New retail is coming up next door, and a CVS will occupy the ground floor.