Say Aloha To Ward Village

Known for its famous landmarks and lush scenery such as Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, the island of O’ahu as we know it is changing. Hawaii’s capital city of Honolulu has quickly become one of the most urbanized cities throughout the islands, due in large part to the addition of Ward Village, a 60-acre coastal community developed by The Howard Hughes Corporation. Ward Village will bring in retailers such as Nobu, Whole Foods and Starbucks and plans to introduce residents to a more “walkable” way of life with the installation of pedestrian walkways with accessibility to entertainment, dining and residences all in one place. Ward Village is also the largest LEED Platinum certified project in Hawaii, which turns the focus towards building a sustainable and environmentally conscious community as a whole.

Just two years after breaking ground, construction of the first Ward Village residence has been completed on a 36-floor condominium known as Waiea. Waiea is one of five towers in the Ward Village development plan and is home to 175 residences including 10 townhouses, 12 penthouses and two grand penthouses ranging from $4.2 million to $36 million. Designed by Vancouver-based architect James K. M. Cheng and interior designer Tony Ingrao, the tower has a distinguishable glass exterior coupled with sleek and elegant living spaces. Encouraging residents to embrace the laid-back attitude associated with Hawaiian life, Waiea offers amenities such as a deluxe fitness center with yoga room, an infinity ocean-view pool, indoor golf simulator, theater/performance room and catered dining rooms (including room service from Nobu Honolulu). As part of Waiea’s core convenience concept, residents also have access to on-site guest parking, valet, children’s play area, dog park, library, ocean-view bar and an on-site resident manager and concierge service.

With more towers still to come in the years ahead, it’s clear that Waiea is only the beginning of a bigger picture. In lieu of the first tower’s completion, SVP of Development at Howard Hughes, Nick Vanderboom, noted that the development project has already received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback: “What’s exciting is that retailers especially have their choice to be in places like Waikiki or Ala Moana Center, but they’re choosing to locate in Ward Village,” he explained. “What that tells us is that whether it’s a local tenant like Merriman’s, a national tenant like Whole Foods or an international tenant like Nobu, retailers see Ward Village as the future of Honolulu.”