A project to add new resort homes on Oʻahu's North Shore is moving forward after some lengthy delays. The developer Areté Collective said it's working with the community on its next steps.
Areté Collective began construction on the first 20 units of its Turtle Bay development in May after hitting a delay late last year.
The Utah-based developer bought 65 acres next to The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay Resort, last year from Blackstone Real Estate for $43 million.
Plans are for a high-end development that will eventually include 100 resort residential units and up to 250 hotel rooms.
The community on the North Shore has spoken out against the project.
But Areté CEO Rebecca Buchan said that the challenge has worked to improve communication with the community. She said her group has held multiple community meetings and that she has personally met with hundreds of people on the North Shore.
Areté has scrapped previous plans to build on 100% of the land. It's now providing more open green space, which Buchan said the company is also restoring, by removing invasive ironwood trees and resculpting the dunes. That restoration should help prevent further erosion on the beach.
Buchan said Areté is partnering with the North Shore Community Land Trust on those ongoing efforts.
Meanwhile, Buchan said the first 20 out of 100 residential resort units will be completed by 2027.
No start date has been set for the remaining residential units or the hotel development.
