Highlighted News Stories From Maui, June 2022
Many news stories this month happening in Maui County affecting the Real Estate industry. The county has been trying to purchase land for differing reasons, and private sales of large land parcels. UH Pacific Disaster Center was honored with a prestigious award, and Central Maui won Best tasting water in Hawaii. Read more about the exciting stories from around the island below.
Private Company Purchases Land in Maalaea
After years of trying to get a housing project approved, the owners of 257 acres in Maalaea sold the land to a private company. Previously plans for over 1,100 units to be built on this land were scrapped after facing opposition from community groups. The sellers state that they have been waiting for the county to purchase the land, but after years of no movement, they decided to sell to a developer. Some community groups desire the land to stay as open land, being only used for preservation. Other groups in the community hope that the land will be developed into affordable housing. Learn more about the sale at:
University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Center Named for Prestigious United Nations Award
The United Nations awards institutions or individuals that make a great impact on disaster risk reduction every three years. This past May, the University of Hawaii earned this award for its work reducing disaster risk throughout South East Asia and the Pacific. “PDC’s innovations and agility have produced some of the best, science, data, and technology in the field of disaster management—supporting not only Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, but the global humanitarian community in some of the most disaster-prone regions of the world,” said UH President David Lassner Learn more about their award at:
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2022/05/26/un-award-uh-pacific-disaster-center/
ʻĪao Aquifer in Central Maui Wins “Best Tasting Water” in Hawaii
Heading to a national competition, Central Maui was awarded the title “Best Tasting Water in Hawaii.” Now the Maui Water Supply personnel will go to Washington D.C. to compete nationally. “It takes hard work, planning, and know-how to routinely deliver this precious resource to our residents. I thank our staff for all they do to supply clean, safe water to customers on 37,000 service accounts on Maui and Molokaʻi.” Stated Director Helene Kau. Learn more about their victory at:
Visitor Arrivals and Spending Surpass Pre-Pandemic Numbers in April
In April 2022, Maui experienced a rise of 2.6% more visitors than in April 2019. Spending by visitors rose 24.6%, showing a greater amount of spending by tourists. Hawaii Tourism Authority cited that the return of Japanese tourists aided in the recovery of the tourism industry this April. Learn more about their increase in visitors at:
Online Living Library Established to Document Kahoolawe Artifacts
Artifacts found on Kahoolawe are now able to be seen online through a “Living Library.” The collection from Kahoolawe holds more than 20,000 pieces, with over 1,000 available to be seen online. Learn more about the new library at:
Maui County Looking at Acquiring 200 Acre Parcel in Haiku
Mayor Victorino’s spokesperson stated that the county is interested in acquiring a 200+ acre parcel in Haiku. Part of this parcel contains a section of the area known as Giggle Hill. The parcel is currently pending for sale, but if the sale does not go through, the mayor will look into making a bid for the land. The land would be considered for use as park land by the county. Learn more about the county’s interest at:
https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2022/06/administration-interested-in-parcel-thats-pending/