OHA seeking Development Consultant for commercial properties

News Release from OHA, May 27, 2021

HONOLULU – The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has begun accepting proposals from qualified individuals and firms to provide real estate planning and development advisory services as a consultant related to its commercial real estate property portfolio.

The “In-House Development Consultant” will work as OHA’s trusted advisor responsible for managing the entire development process of OHA’s commercial properties; coordinating the work of the development team, serving as a central point for communication to facilitate decision making, and ensuring that cultural and stewardship values provide the basis for design and land use decisions. However, the selected consultant will not be able to participate in any way in the development of any of OHA’s parcels.

The selected individual or firm is expected to have an initial focus on select parcels located at Kakaʻako Makai and an eventual focus on parcels at OHA’s Nā Lama Kukui Lifestyle & Design Center in Iwilei.

Moving forward with the development of commercial properties was cited as a key priority by Maui trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey upon her election as OHA Board Chair in January of 2021. 

Lindsey is a former properties administrator for Maui Land & Pineapple Co., as well as the former administrator for the County of Maui’s Land Use and Codes Division. She’s owned her own real estate company and been a licensed real estate agent for more than 40 years. She is uniquely positioned to lead OHA forward in the process of developing its commercial properties.

“It is our fiduciary responsibility as trustees to responsibly develop these lands with the ultimate goal of providing community benefit and generating revenue for our programs and services in support of the Native Hawaiian people and the mission of our organization. I’d like to thank my fellow trustees for their continuous support in moving these development initiatives forward,” Board Chair Lindsey said.

The selection of a development consultant is expected to eventually be followed by the creation of a master development plan and then selection of a developer to begin construction.

Interested parties are encouraged to view the Request For Proposals on the OHA website at www.oha.org/solicitations which was posted on May 24, 2021. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, June 25, 2021, at 2 p.m. HST.