WESTERN REPORT
In a game of word association, “brownfields” doesn’t usually spring to mind in response to “Hawaii.” But just like other communities that bear the scars of past economic booms, Hawaii—often viewed as an island paradise—also has blighted former industrial sites that are ripe for revitalization. Despite a severely limited inventory of land on the island, few developers are not able, interested or motivated to invest in brownfield properties because of the potential liability exposure.

One firm has a solution that will fill the gap in an area that was otherwise experiencing tremendous redevelopment, with plans to remediate a site in the Iwilei District of Honolulu and put it back into productive use.

Adjacent to Honolulu Harbor and situated between downtown and the airport, the 350-acre Iwilei District was once the industrial center of Hawaii. Impacted by decades of industrial activity, it was the terminus of the island’s railroad, where commodities were processed and prepared for shipment. It was also home to the fuel terminals that received and stored the island’s petroleum products and the pipelines that carried these products to its many military bases, including Pearl Harbor.

Due to the lack of developable land on the island and the State of Hawaii’s dynamic brownfield program, the district has experienced tremendous growth. Part of that growth includes the purchase of a four-acre brownfield site by Weston Solutions, Inc., an environmental, redevelopment and construction firm.

The property was the site of a manufactured gas plant that operated from 1904 through 1977, producing gas from oil for lighting, cooking and heating. The manufacturing and purification processes yielded the standard residues: tars, sludges, lampblack, and other hydrocarbon byproducts. Although many of these byproducts were recycled or recovered, much of the manufacturing-related residues remained onsite. The plant also served as a benzene refining site, producing soil and groundwater benzene levels that are particularly high.

Earlier remedial activities at the site were not particularly aggressive, and litigation tied up both funds and the focus of the previous owners, leaving the site unusable while most of the neighboring parcels realized redevelopment. Costco, Home Depot and Best Buy opened retail outlets on bordering parcels and Lowe’s is beginning development on the last available contiguous parcel. While the old gas plant parcel poses some challenging issues, Weston believes the property’s financial development potential is worth the environmental risk.

Zoned for industrial mixed use, development possibilities for the site include retail, industrial-condominiums and storage facilities.

“The Iwilei property is just about a perfect fit for us in terms of location, deal size, risk profile, and potential return on investment,” explains Pete Ceribelli, the head of Weston’s redevelopment services group. “We will use a sound remedial and engineering approach, work collaboratively with regulators, neighbors and other stakeholders to achieve their goals to protect human health and the environment, and involve the community throughout the process.”

Weston hopes to have the site ready for development within 24 months. The size and potential of this project is important to Hawaii and the brownfield industry as a whole. BFN plans to report on the progress of the development in future issues.

After all, where better to turn a brownfield green than in paradise?

Rick Smith is a senior project manager with Weston Solutions, Inc., in Honolulu, Hawaii.