Two more self-storage complexes slated for O'ahu
By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer
A Mainland development team has bought the former Diner's Drive-In property in Pawa'a and is acquiring a site in Kapolei on which to build two self-storage facilities.
Jordan Architects Inc.
Bruce Jordan, a California architect and representative of the development team, said construction is expected to begin in the next several months to satisfy what he said is demand for more modern storage facilities on O'ahu.
The representative for the development team planning two O'ahu self-storage facilities says the complexes will be "upscale" in design.
The projects join at least four other self-storage complexes under planning or construction on the island — two by California-based Public Storage Inc. in Pearl City and Kaka'ako, one by local real estate firm MW Group in Pearl City, and one by Honolulu-based Pacific Land & Investment LLC in Kapolei.
The two newest plans are being pursued by affiliated companies Aloha/King LLC and Aloha/Kapolei LLC led respectively by John York and Bennett York of Hattiesburg, Miss.
Aloha/King's Pawa'a project is to be 143,000 square feet (about the size of a Home Depot or Costco) on the old ?-acre Diner's Drive-In site that the developer purchased from owners in Hong Kong and Japan for an undisclosed price, estimated to be around $3 million.
Jordan said construction is expected to begin as early as March, and that the facility will have an "upscale" design more characteristic of a retail establishment rather than an industrial facility.
Dennis Wiens, managing director of local real estate firm Grubb & Ellis/CBI who represented the sellers, said the property had been on the market for years without attracting a viable buyer despite its location on a prime corner at King Street and Kalakaua Avenue.
Wiens said there had been a lot of interest recently, and that a self-storage facility was a more ideal use compared with a condominium or retail project because it has less impact on street traffic, parking and other infrastructure.
Previous uses of the site besides the bygone restaurant had been a tire store, gas station, cooking school and campaign headquarters for former Gov. Ben Cayetano.
"It's gone through a lot of uses," Wiens said.
The Kapolei project is to be 101,000 square feet on a 3-acre site near the entrance of Kapolei Business Park. Jordan said the development entity expects to complete a purchase of the property from California investment firm Jupiter Holdings LLC in the next two weeks. Construction could begin as early as May, he said.
Both projects would be the first in Hawai'i for the York entities in conjunction with Jordan Architects Inc., an architectural firm specializing in self-storage design.
Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8065.
