The James Campbell Company (JCC) and other leading West O‘ahu developers are starting off 2025 with a bang.
“JCC will continue to expand its development platforms … on a variety of core project investments in our home market,” says James Campbell Company’s Steve Kelly. “These include starting construction on new phases of infrastructure development in the Kapolei Harborside industrial park, the second industrial building in the park, a 300-unit multifamily project in Kapolei and two specialty entertainment and retail projects.
“Over the past 30 years, James Campbell Company has played an integral role in Kapolei’s transformation,” Kelly notes. “And today, we are more committed than ever to increasing our investments in this vibrant community.”
DRIVE GROWTH
One of JCC’s investments is slated to break ground this month: Building 2, a 90,400-square-foot warehouse, will join JCC’s recently completed Building 1 warehouse in Kapolei Harborside. Kelly says a general contractor has not yet been selected and the project is scheduled to wrap in April 2026.
Like Building 1 with its 102,000-square-foot interior, Building 2 will meet the area’s rapidly expanding need for more industrial space.
“The outlook for industrial development in Kapolei Harborside remains very strong,” Kelly says. “O‘ahu’s industrial vacancy rate remains at record lows and JCC is the only developer on the island building new, modern industrial buildings sized to accommodate large tenants.
“With most of O‘ahu’s industrial building inventory being older, outdated product, the opportunity is strong to build new product in Kapolei to meet the needs of businesses locating here.”
Avalon Development Co. LLC is also responding to this demand with The Crossing at Kapolei Business Park West, a new 160,000-square-foot industrial condominium complex.
Phase I, which includes two warehouse/commercial buildings, is slated to wrap in June, with Phase 2 adding another building in 2026; Honolulu Builders is the general contractor.
Nearby, the 235,515-square-foot ODEX Kapolei Sales and Distribution Facility is currently underway with Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company Inc. as general contractor. The two-story beverage distribution warehouse is slated to wrap in March 2026.
PAVING PROGRESS
JCC and the Hawaii Department of Transportation are collaborating on the construction of the State Harbor Access Road in Kalaeloa, a brand-new, $36 million state highway that will link Kalaeloa Harbor and the H-1 Freeway, providing a quicker route
Paradigm Construction LLC is building Phase 1B, which includes “not only the roadway work but also all of the utilities like sewer, drain, water, irrigation and electrical work,” says Paradigm President Alex Kwon.
Phase 1B is slated for completion in mid-2025, Kelly says, with construction for Phases 2 and 3 roadways starting in early 2026.
Like JCC, West O‘ahu landowner Hunt Companies Hawai‘i is also pioneering new roadway projects as it ramps up development of Kalaeloa Town, a new master-planned community within Hunt’s nearly 540 acres of Kalaeloa holdings.
“Throughout 2024 and into 2025, Hunt Companies Hawai‘i is focused on the first upgrade of Kalaeloa Town’s roadways — an investment of some $40 million,” says Tony Gaston, Hunt Cos. Hawai‘i senior vice president.
“Over the course of this multi-year infrastructure project, Hunt has been creating new roads for Kalaeloa Town, including the Kamokila Boulevard extension,” Gaston says. “The first segment opened in April 2024 to provide access to the multi-specialty outpatient Daniel K. Akaka Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic, which serves roughly 87,000 veterans on O‘ahu, as well as veterans throughout the Pacific Islands.”
Hunt’s upgrades also encompass the relocated Boxer Road, which previously cut through the middle of the 88,675-square-foot VA Clinic’s site.
Hunt is also expanding a portion of Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue bordering the VA Clinic and the new Ka‘ulu by Gentry residential community. The roadway will be expanded from two lanes to four in an effort to provide greater regional traffic flow.
Gaston says Copahee Avenue, which runs along the west perimeter of Barbers Point Elementary School, “will be improved to City & County of Honolulu standards and will be completed in the near future.”
Goodfellow Bros. is the contractor on Hunt’s $40 million Kalaeloa roadway projects.
New roads in the nearby Ka‘ulu by Gentry residential community are being built by Royal Contracting Co. Ltd. To help minimize Parcel 1’s Phase 2 development costs, home construction was scheduled along with site work, with homes completed at the same time Royal installed AC pavement.
In ‘Ewa, new Ho‘opili roadways are slated for 2025, with Paradigm Construction working on Ho‘opili’s Parcel 116 Gateway Access Road, valued at $15.4 million. The company has also just started Ho‘opili’s Phase 17A Backbone Roadways, valued at $20.9 million.
BUILDING NEW COMMUNITIES
Ka‘ulu by Gentry is the first ground-up residential community built as part of the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority’s (HCDA) Kalaeloa Master Plan, which calls for the mixed-use development of Kalaeloa.
After breaking ground in 2023, Ka‘ulu will comprise 29.8 acres and 390 homes, including multifamily attached and single-family detached units, when the project is completed in about three years.
“As of Nov. 7, we had completed 24 single-family homes and 40 multifamily homes in five 8-plex buildings,” says Rick Hobson, Gentry Homes vice president of sales and marketing. “No community and/or commercial center has been planned… However, there will be play areas, gathering spaces and [walkways] throughout the community.
“We are currently assessing the feasibility of developing another of Hunt’s parcels. If developed, that community will have a mix of higher-density commercial and residential uses and will be designed in accordance with the HCDA’s Kalaeloa Master Plan and Administrative Rules.”
Final development of Kalaeloa will reportedly create approximately 6,350 residential units and 3 million square feet of light industrial, commercial, retail and office space.
Substantial Ho‘opili construction is also underway in Phase II and at Parcel 17, also consisting of single-family and multifamily homes.
Ka‘ulu by Gentry, Increment 2
Subcontractors & Vendors
(In alphabetical order)
A-Plus Seamless Raingutters Inc.
Aladdin Termite & Pest Control
Alii Glass & Metal Inc.
Allied Floor Corp.
Bruce Matson Co. Inc.
Closet Systems Supply LLC
Commercial Sheetmetal Co. Inc.
Dennis Professional Services
Dura Constructors Inc.
EnergyLogic
Grantco Pacific Inc.
Haas Insulation Inc.
Honolulu Tile & Marble Inc.
Honolulu Fire Protection
JDH Construction Ltd.
Leeward Landscape Inc.
Leigh Diversified Construction Inc.
Mahelu Bobcats Inc.
Pacific Home and Appliance Distribution
Quality Built LLC
R&L Ohana Insulation Inc.
Raynor Hawai‘i Overhead Doors
Sky High Cleaning LLC
STS Plumbing Inc.
Walter P. Thompson Inc.
WE Painting Inc.
WEST O‘AHU WELCOMES NEW HOTELS
Hyatt Place/Hyatt House at Ho‘opili broke ground in August. The Alaka‘i Development project, with Moss & Associates as general contractor, is located on about 3.5 acres next to a Skyway rail station and UH West O‘ahu.
The first hotel to be constructed in ‘Ewa Beach, the approximately 32,000-square-foot, five-story building will offer 240 guestrooms.
“The structure will use a waffle slab system for the foundation, conventional wood stick framing, cementitious Hardie board siding with a combination asphalt shingle and thermoplastic polyolefin roofing system,” says Robert Tomas, Moss project executive. “The ground floor guest amenities will include a business center with meeting rooms, dining room, bar, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and spa with an outdoor gathering lanai.”
The hotel will be slab-on-grade with “‘void forms’ made from plastic … used in forming stages of the slab,” Tomas says. “Once concrete is placed, the voids in the underside of the slab will resemble a waffle, which would compensate for soil movement due to the expansive soils in the ‘Ewa area.
“Although this is on floor-level grade, due to the design, this type of slab is considered above-grade,” he adds.
The hotel also meets O‘ahu’s increasing demand for affordable, middle-market lodging and adds to lodging options in West O‘ahu.
“We’re excited to be a part of a team that will bring ‘Ewa Beach’s first hotel to the new thriving Ho‘opili community,” says Tomas.
Kelly also has reason to be excited about James Campbell Co.’s current ventures.
“Our priority has been to honor the legacy of stewardship and service established by James Campbell over 150 years ago, while positioning the company for sustainable, thoughtful growth in the years ahead,” he says. “We expect 2025 to be our most active construction year since the establishment of the company in 2007.”
