SVA Architects Joins Development Team for Hawaiian Blessing of Kokua Senior Housing in Downtown Honolulu

SVA Expands Portfolio of Affordable Housing for Seniors in Hawaii

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Sep 17, 2021, 12:00 ET

SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, SVA Architects, Coastal Rim Properties, Highridge Costa Development Company, LLC and other project partners convened for the groundbreaking blessing of Kokua, an affordable senior housing development coming to downtown Honolulu. The traditional Hawaiian blessing is a custom that honors the beliefs of the Hawaiian people who consider the land sacred. Located at 1192 Alakea Street at the corner of Beretania Street, the highly anticipated Kokua development will help address a critical need for affordable housing in one of the most expensive rental markets in the nation.

William Koster, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal & Vice President of SVA Architects, states, "Obtaining an affordable home is imperative for many seniors, especially in an extraordinarily expensive rental market like Hawaii. We're honored to play a part in helping address this critical concern for many of our most vulnerable neighbors."

Kokua, which means "to help," will offer 222 affordable studio apartments for seniors whose income is 30 to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). Twenty (20) percent of the homes will be reserved for residents with special needs, such as senior veterans or seniors who are mentally or physically disabled. The 20-story, 147,000-square-foot residential tower will include a five-level parking structure, and 15 stories of resident amenities and homes averaging 274 square feet each. In addition to housing and office space for the on-site building and maintenance managers, the development will include a 1,000-square-foot community room for recreational and social activities, a 3,000-square-foot landscaped outdoor space, laundry and housekeeping services, and on-site healthcare providers. The project is located just blocks from the Queen's Medical Center, Chinatown, and numerous restaurants, amenities, and senior services in the downtown district.

Franco Mola, Owner and President of Coastal Rim Properties, states, "Together with SVA, we have been able to create opportunities for housing that exceed the ordinary. Creating affordable housing is a challenging effort. Our mantra has been combining great spaces within walking distances from shopping, medical care, and transit, and fitting them into a financial model that can accommodate the 101's of real estate so that these ideas can become a reality."

Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, CEO of SVA Architects, says, "Kokua is a great example of how SVA and Coastal Rim's creativity within this constrained site resulted in a contemporary and elegant solution that will offer our seniors dignity, social connections, and support longevity and wellness. It's been such a pleasure working with Franco at Coastal Rim Properties for more than 40 years on numerous developments, creating quality housing to serve various special needs residents."

SVA and its principals have been working on Hawaii since 1983. Other notable projects in Hawaii include affordable, mixed-use Kulana Hale development on Oahu—a project which also features 154 affordable senior rental homes—and the Kamehameha Community Learning Center at Māʻili in the Waiʻanae District, Oahu.

About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country's most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm's portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.

Media Contact: Beth Binger
BCI
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SOURCE SVA Architects, Inc.