Hawaii Community Development Authority

The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) is a State agency that was established to supplement traditional community renewal methods by promoting and coordinating public and private sector community development. The 1976 State Legislature created the HCDA as a way to plan for the future development of underutilized urban areas of Hawaii. Lawmakers determined these “Community Development Districts” were underused and deteriorating, but had the potential to provide great economic opportunities to the state once they were redeveloped. Upon the HCDA’s creation, the Legislature designated the Kaka‘ako area of Honolulu as the Authority’s first Community Development District. Lawmakers recognized Kaka‘ako was severely underdeveloped and underutilized, relative to its central location near urban Honolulu. They foresaw the area’s potential and opened the door to tremendous opportunities in providing more housing, parks, open areas, as well as new commercial and industrial space near the downtown core. Since 1976, the Hawaii Community Development Authority has also assumed the role of redeveloping the 3,700-acre Kalaeloa Community Development District (Kalaeloa). The 2002 State Legislature voted to transfer that responsibility from the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission. Lawmakers also approved the addition of new HCDA board members to represent the Kalaeloa District. In recent years the HCDA has also received responsibility of over 400 acres of meadow-lands in He’eia.