If you own property in Wailea, you’ve probably heard about several projects being discussed around the resort, from potential changes at Wailea Golf to new housing proposed along Wailea Ike Drive and Kālai Waʻa Street and the long-planned development of Honuaʻula.
Some are moving through permitting. Others are still part of a much longer planning process.
Following the Wailea Community Association’s September 2026 Townhall, we’ve pulled together the updates we think are most relevant to Wailea property owners and where each stands today.
Wailea Golf: Two Different Plans Are Still in Play
One of the biggest questions for Wailea property owners is what could eventually happen with portions of the Wailea Golf property.
The South Maui Community Plan currently under review by the Maui County Council includes a Wailea Golf plan approved by the Maui Planning Commission. The Wailea Community Association does not support that version.
Instead, WCA supports a revised concept developed through discussions with Wailea Golf and a working group representing different parts of the Wailea community.
According to WCA, the revised concept would:
- Preserve 36 holes of championship golf
- Continue and enhance a racket-sport facility
- Remove proposed development makai of Keala o Wailea
- Remove proposed development mauka of Wailea Point
There is an important catch: Wailea Golf has not publicly backed the revised concept.
At the September 17 Townhall, WCA reported that Wailea Golf planned to continue promoting the Planning Commission-approved version, while WCA hoped it would ultimately publicly support the revised plan. WCA also indicated that complications in reaching an agreement would likely extend those discussions beyond the County Council’s current Community Plan review timeframe.
So for now, the future land-use plan for Wailea Golf remains unresolved.
273 New Residences Proposed Within Wailea
This project is further along.
Ledcor Maui is seeking approvals for development on several of the remaining undeveloped parcels along Wailea Ike Drive and Kālai Waʻa Street.
The current proposal includes 273 residences:
- 233 market-rate residences
- 4 on-site employee units
- 36 workforce rental units proposed as deed-restricted in perpetuity
The market-rate residences would be located on the B1 and MF-16 parcels. The nearby B2 parcel would instead include open space and restoration areas.
Ledcor’s plans also include something Wailea has not historically had: perpetually deed-restricted workforce rental housing.
Workforce Rentals Within Wailea
The MF-10 parcel is planned for 68 one- and two-bedroom rentals, developed in two phases.
The first 36 units are included in Ledcor’s current application and are proposed as workforce rentals in perpetuity. A future second phase would add another 32 rental residences. Ledcor describes the first phase as bringing perpetually deed-restricted workforce rental housing to Wailea for the first time in its 50-year history.
Ledcor says the workforce housing is intended in part for people working in hospitality, healthcare and the trades, and that the site is within a five-minute walk of hotels, restaurants and other Wailea employers.
Where does it stand? Key dates so far include Ledcor’s SMA application submitted in April 2026, WCA conceptual design-review approval in July 2026 and completion of the Urban Design Review Board process in August 2026. A Maui Planning Commission public hearing is now scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 9:00 AM.
The project is moving through the review process, but it has not received final approval to build.
Honuaʻula Could Bring a Major Change to Piʻilani Highway
The long-planned Honuaʻula development sits on approximately 670 acres mauka of Wailea.
Plans allow for as many as 1,150 residences, including at least 288 workforce housing units, along with approximately 150 acres of conservation land and public spaces.
For existing Wailea residents, however, one of the most noticeable changes could eventually be outside the development itself: Piʻilani Highway.
Project conditions require Piʻilani Highway between Kilohana Drive and Wailea Ike Drive to be widened to four lanes before construction begins, except for grading and the work needed to build and occupy the project’s workforce housing.
Another possibility is being worked on. Honuaʻula could provide 50 additional workforce housing units in exchange for the State assuming responsibility for the highway widening, subject to an agreement with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation. That would bring the project’s workforce housing commitment to at least 338 units.
At the September Townhall, WCA said that agreement was still being worked out and that federal funding and timing for the highway project remained undetermined.
WCA also reported that Honuaʻula Partners has committed its roadways to public use for mauka emergency egress toward Ulupalakua Ranch and has maintained a wide firebreak along Wailea.
In other words: the four-lane widening remains an important piece of Honuaʻula’s future, but there is not yet a construction date to put on the calendar.
Makena Mauka Continues Moving Through the Process
Farther south, plans for Makena Mauka call for 652 total units, including 109 workforce housing units, across approximately 1,000 acres. Plans also include renovating and reopening the Makena South golf course.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed development of lands above Makena Alanui Road has been accepted by the Maui Planning Commission. That’s an important step, but it isn’t final approval for the entire development. Mākena permitting information
WCA raised concerns in its formal comments on the draft environmental review, particularly traffic at the Wailea Ike/Wailea Alanui intersection and the need for mauka emergency access to Kula Highway.
So, How Much of This Is Actually Happening Soon?
This may be the most important context for homeowners.
A Community Plan can show what could be developed over decades. It doesn’t mean everything shown on the map is about to be built.
At the September Townhall, WCA noted that South Maui has averaged approximately 120 permitted residential units per year over the past 20 years, while Wailea has developed approximately 2,500 residential units over roughly 50 years.
Maui County Planning Director Jacky Takakura made a similar point during the current Community Plan review. In comments published by Maui Now on September 19, Takakura said many already-approved South Maui projects are not expected to be built in the near term and “may be decades away.”
She also emphasized an important distinction for property owners: the Community Plan itself does not approve individual development projects. Projects still have to go through the applicable County review and approval processes.
That’s why the status of each project matters.
Ledcor is actively moving through permitting. The County Council is still deciding the South Maui Community Plan and the future land-use framework affecting Wailea Golf. Honuaʻula has significant infrastructure requirements tied to its development. Mākena Mauka has completed an important environmental review step but still has additional approvals ahead.
What We’re Watching Next
The next few months should bring more clarity on two of the biggest issues we’re watching in Wailea.
The County Council is continuing its review of the South Maui Community Plan, including the proposed changes involving Wailea Golf. At the September Townhall, WCA reported that the Council committee reviewing the plan was targeting October 8 to send it to the full Council.
Ledcor’s proposal is also moving forward in the review process, with a Maui Planning Commission public hearing scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 9:00 AM at 250 S. High Street in Wailuku.
We’ll continue following these projects and sharing meaningful updates as plans change and new decisions are made.
If you own in Wailea or are considering a purchase and want to understand how these proposals relate to a specific neighborhood, our team has followed Wailea’s planning and development for decades and can help you understand the history and what’s being proposed today.
With Aloha,
