Koa Ridge: Designed and Built by Local Companies for Local Families

Koa Ridge is Castle & Cooke’s new “surban” master-planned community in Central Oahu that combines the conveniences of urban living with the beauty and peacefulness of a suburban location. Residents can shop, dine and socialize in an interconnected community that encourages the active outdoor lifestyle that kamaaina are accustomed to. 

Since the community’s launch in July 2020, 300-plus homes have been sold and more than 200 families have moved in. “There is strong demand for new homes in Hawaii,” says Garret Matsunami, vice president of residential operations for Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii. “And it’s because of our long-term relationships with our engineers, subcontractors and consultants that we have been able to make so much progress so quickly.”

Castle & Cooke noted the hybrid system of engineered lumber and steel framing provides the benefits of strength, durability and support.

Coastal Construction is one relationship that stems as far back as Mililani, Castle & Cooke’s flagship master-planned community which originally went to market in 1968. “It’s our long history with Castle & Cooke and our understanding of their practices that create efficiences,” says Ken Sakurai, president, and Jon Rapisura of Coastal Construction. “That relationship allows us to build homes quickly while ensuring a high level of quality is maintained.”

Emet Domingo, director of construction at Castle & Cooke, adds the company works with several local, experienced union subcontractors at Koa Ridge. “From the masons to the plumbers, we rely on companies that have been performing quality work for decades.” 

Wailea at Koa Ridge is a brand-new condominium townhome series.

“We select skilled tradespersons that are committed and take pride in their workmanship,” says Daryl Takamiya, senior project engineer at Castle & Cooke. “It’s not about the lowest bid. It’s about building a strong team united around a shared commitment to local families and communities.”

Utilizing prime materials and top subcontractors while evaluating progress is all part of how Castle & Cooke strives to achieve the very best in homebuilding. Construction of homes typically takes four to five months, each one undergoing multiple quality assessments prior to the homeowners’ move-in date, explains Takamiya. “We have several key inspections performed at major milestones along the way for every home that we build.” 

Inside the kitchen of one of the Walea townhomes.

Domingo noted that Castle & Cooke also offers hard-hat tours — scheduled times when Koa Ridge homebuyers can see a home under construction. This allows future owners to observe the building process, to look inside of the walls, and to learn more about the details that go into every home. “It’s just one of the tools we use to help educate buyers,” Domingo says.

Rapisura adds, “Home building is more art than science — it is not perfect. They’re handcrafted by many different specialists, incorporate hundreds of manmade and natural materials, and are constructed over a period of time out in nature. Even so, homes today are built better because of new advances in building materials and construction methods.” 

The townhomes are offered in five floor plan designs with an option of two or three bedrooms.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to build every Koa Ridge home as if we were building it for our own family,” concludes Matsunami.

If youʻre interested in learning more about Koa Ridge, visit koaridge.com.