Castle trust sells land at Kapa'a

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

A Harold K. L. Castle trust has sold 79 acres of industrial and preservation property in the Kapa'a quarry area of Kailua to the owner of All Pool & Spa for $16 million.

The transaction, completed last week, involved the last remaining high-value asset of land in the Kapa'a area owned by the Castle family.

Molly Mosher-Cates, vice president of Kaneohe Ranch, which manages a variety of Castle interests that own much of Kailua, said sale proceeds would be reinvested in real estate.

"It just made sense at this time to sell," she said. "This is the last industrial-zoned property (owned by the Castle trust)."

The Castle trust leased the property to Ameron Hawaii, which in turn subleased it to others, including John King, president and chief executive officer of All Pool & Spa.

King, also the managing member of King & Zelko Hawaiian Woodworks LLC, developed a warehouse complex on about 6 acres. Another 40 acres is being used by a green-waste facility.

A Castle trust still owns a portion of the closed landfill nearby. It once owned all the surrounding land of Kawainui, including the marsh, now publicly owned. Harold K. L. Castle at one time owned most of the ahupua'a, or traditional land divisions, of Kailua and Kane'ohe.