Talk of development in West Oahu often centers on housing. This week, Pacific Business News surveys the state of business development in the region to find out where the action is. PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, has more.
And the action is…nearly everywhere you look. West Oahu, including Kapolei, already boasts nearly 670,000 square feet of office space and the demand is growing. Looking at retail, we see a low 2% vacancy rate. That means developers should have no problem filling the three major shopping centers now in the works.
The first of these, called The Gathering Place, opens next spring on four-and-a-half acres near U.H. West Oahu. The biggest is Ka Makana Ali‘i, which will cover 67 acres when built out by Debartolo Development. That’s 10 acres bigger than Ala Moana. The first phase of Ka Makana Ali‘i is set to open in late 2016.
There’s growth in services too. It’s been one year since the Queen’s Health Systems took over St. Francis West in Ewa. The hospital’s 80 beds are nearly full and it sees about 140 patients a day in its emergency room. The hospital is looking to add five new physicians in the next year, all specialists such as a cardiologist and nephrologist. It’s also looking to add office space to host more private practice physicians, especially OB-GYNS, a critical need in family-focused West Oahu.
Finally, we list the 25 biggest employers in West Oahu. Coming in at the top spot – Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. It employs 1600 people.
