North Shore Residents Push Back Against a New Luxury Development by Areté Collective
Developer Areté Collective is building 20 resort condos amid community concerns about coastal erosion, habitat loss and cultural preservation.
Photo: JodiJacobson via Getty Images
“Nānā i mua, nānā i hope: honoring the past, preserving the future.” These words are bolded at the top of oahu-arete.com, the website of developer Areté Collective, which is constructing 20 resort residential units in four low-rise buildings along O‘ahu’s North Shore, with more to come.
Residents question the sincerity of the message and are speaking out against what they say are outdated plans that don’t adequately consider rising sea levels, loss of habitat for endangered species, traffic congestion and Native Hawaiian culture.
The community group Kūpa‘a Kuilima started a petition in November 2024 to pause development until the developer provides an updated supplemental environmental impact statement and receives a new special management area permit, among other requests. The organization says past requirements, set more than a decade ago, are outdated and that new information about things like the amount of coral cover and the increased number of monk seals and nesting sea turtles should be considered.
Areté paused construction late last year to accommodate more meetings with local leaders and community members about coastal erosion, cultural preservation and other issues. However, construction resumed in January without Kūpa‘a Kuilima’s requests being met.
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A statement provided by Areté reads in part: “The City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) has repeatedly confirmed that the project has all the necessary entitlements and approvals to proceed. In 2022, and again in a recent letter, the DPP indicated that the SMA Permit and 2013 SEIS remain valid.”
The developer has also published FAQs on its website, explaining how it will deal with increased water and wastewater demand, protect wildlife and rehabilitate the shoreline, which CEO Rebecca Buchan says Areté intends to leave better than they found it.
Yet, the addition of luxury condos along undeveloped coastline doesn’t sit right with Kūpa‘a Kuilima and others whose aim is to keep the country country.
