Honolulu’s City Council has yanked a $34 million budget line that would have let the city buy a six‑acre parcel in Hawaii Kai, the former Japan‑America Institute of Management Science site, after Council Chair Tommy Waters pulled the request at the last minute. Waters said the timing and the island’s tight finances made the purchase a no‑go this year, and he plans to take another run at it in next year’s budget. For nearby businesses and residents, the move keeps the property’s future wide open and raises fresh questions about what kind of development, if any, might land there.
How the buy got into the budget
The $34 million showed up in late March as a proposed amendment to the executive capital budget, listed as an acquisition for the JAIMS parcel (TMK: 3‑9‑038:002). A March 27 worksheet folded the amount into Housing and Land Management’s land‑acquisition line, effectively creating a path for the city to purchase the site if the money was ultimately approved. The entry appears in Honolulu City Council documents.
Council pulls funding amid tight finances
On April 24, the council stripped the $34 million from the capital plan after Waters withdrew the item, pointing to recovery costs from recent Kona storms and what he called “the constraints of an already tight budget year.” He said he hopes to revisit the idea in next year’s budget cycle. Waters has floated potential future city uses for the site, including a first‑responder center or a community center, if an acquisition ever moves forward. Kamehameha Schools, which owns the JAIMS property, told reporters the site is currently well maintained and that it is taking time to “carefully and thoughtfully consider its long‑term future, guided by our kuleana to the community,” according to Hawaii News Now.
Neighbors press for respectful development
Residents, small‑business tenants and a local advocacy group are pushing for low‑impact, community‑oriented uses instead of dense commercial projects or high‑rise towers. The grassroots Hahaʻione Advocates for Respectful Development notes that the three commercial parcels between Pepeʻekeo and Hahaʻione Streets, roughly 6640–6660 Hawaii Kai Drive, sit right next to Hahaʻione Elementary School and that the underlying land leases expire in 2028. The council chair’s office has been holding town halls and outreach meetings as officials and Kamehameha Schools talk through options, and neighbors say they want a real seat at the table in any planning process. Details appear on the Hahaʻione Advocates for Respectful Development site and the council chair's office blog.
What comes next
With the appropriation gone, the property stays in private hands while the existing leases run down, and Waters has signaled the idea could come back when next year’s budget talks roll around. Local advocates are still lobbying for a community center or other uses that protect the site’s trees and view plane, and Kamehameha Schools says it will continue weighing long‑term options. In the meantime, community organizers have lined up neighborhood meetings and site walks so residents can weigh in before any major changes get traction.
