Planned rail projects at HCC under negotiations

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s plan to relocate above-and below-ground utilities along Dillingham Boulevard to make way for the more than $10 billion Skyline project headed toward Kakaako now appears to hinge on the strong cooperation of the University of Hawaii.Specifically, HART is negotiating with UH over the placement of future rail-related infrastructure and utilities on a portion of Honolulu Community College at 874 Dillingham Blvd.The fully-elevated rail project’s planned Station 15, Niuhelewai, named after the area and stream that once flowed past the HCC site, is proposed on Dillingham Boulevard at Kokea Street, near the college.And the station’s elevated guideway is also expected to fly over the campus, while guideway support columns may be located on HCC’s property itself, UH officials say.HCC is among many area properties, including Kamehameha Schools’ parcels, that lie along the frontage of Dillingham, where the rail line’s guideway is part of the so-called Mauka Shift.The Mauka Shift, according to HART, will move a section of the guideway from the center of Dillingham to the mauka side of the busy street.That shift, the agency claims, also will save time and money for the rail project by eliminating the need to relocate certain utilities—namely, two above-ground, 138-kilovolt power transmission lines as well as 12-and 48-kilovolt power lines on the makai side of the thoroughfare.Moving the guideway to the mauka side of the street avoids having to bury all of the power lines on the makai side and avoids the need to move other existing underground utilities, thereby improving the project schedule and reducing costs by approximately $150 million, HART says.But negotiations as to where underground utilities and future support columns for the guideway should be placed within the nearly 30-acre HCC campus, located on the mauka side of Dillingham, still continue.“There has been ongoing coordination between HART and UH throughout the design process and into construction, and HART continues to address any concerns raised by UH, ” HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.To that end, a so-called Rail Management Committee—composed of city, UH and HART representatives—are meeting over this planned work, she added.Kahikina said there’s also an existing Memorandum of Use and Occupancy Agreement, or MUOA, which governs operations of the rail project, including stations, at UH West Oahu, Leeward Community College and HCC.“It was signed in September 2021 by the University of Hawaii, HART and the city Department of Transportation Services, ” she said. “When the agreement was finalized, the Mauka Shift was contemplated, but not approved or designed.”At the time, it was agreed the MUOA would be amended—under what’s dubbed “the First Amendment ”—to include portions of the HCC property needed to accommodate the Mauka Shift, according to Kahikina.“A term sheet outlined the amendment that will be made to the agreement, ” she said. “The terms of the amendment have been under discussion since approximately October 2025.”She added, “The approved term sheet will lead to an amended MUOA, which will allow use of the HCC campus for ” the rail project.In 2022, HART awarded a nearly $500 million contract to Nan Inc. to complete the underground utility work on Dillingham Boulevard, a 1.5-mile stretch from Kamehameha Highway in Kalihi to Kaaahi Street in Iwilei.However, HART officials now say the cost of the Mauka Shift is part of the overall $1.66 billion City Center Guideway and Stations, or CCGS, project.“There is no isolated cost for the Mauka Shift, ” Kahikina said. “It is part of the overall CCGS scope of work and schedule. CCGS construction is expected to be complete around 2030.”In August 2024, HART awarded that large contract to Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corp. to design and build the rail’s last 3-mile segment to Kakaako.But by October 2025, the HART board engaged Tutor Perini to conduct $53.2 million in additional design work to extend Skyline farther eastward, to Ala Moana Center and beyond.Kahikina stressed the effort involving the Mauka Shift and HCC is not part of the much-debated eastward extension of rail to Ala Moana and possibly to UH Manoa. “This is unrelated to the (UH Manoa ) campus or expansion of the rail, ” she said.As far as work on HCC property, Kahikina said, “UH has been very supportive of the project and accommodating to HART’s needs.”During a UH Board of Regents’ meeting in early December, Kahikina presented a brief presentation of HART’s Mauka Shift and its potential impacts on HCC.At the same Dec. 4 meeting, UH Vice President for Budget and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Kalbert Young told the board it would need to formally consider the “First Amendment on an already existing agreement ” with HART, the city and UH.“The primary purpose of the amendment is to clarify the extent of additional property rights to use on occupied portions of a number of (UH ) sites where rail will be coming, ” Young said. “But, in particular, for the portions for the (HCC ) campus, the station of which is necessary to start construction very soon.”“Because as HART constructs the infrastructure when operation begins, it will be the responsibility of the city’s (DTS ) to operate and maintain the project for the 80 years of the agreement that has already been approved, ” Young said, adding property rights included in the First Amendment involve “the exclusive use of an aerial corridor that will accommodate the portion of the guideway above the (HCC ) campus.”“And also an expanded area for the rail station at the (HCC ) campus, ” he added. “There will be a requirement for new areas for guideway columns and support structures also on the campus itself, and then lastly a maintenance buffer area.”Young said the board of regents approved the original MUOA in November 2020. “And it authorized the administration to finalize and negotiate terms of the original agreement, ” he said.He also noted the original agreement covers three UH campuses – UH West Oahu, LCC and HCC – where four stations either are or will be located on or near those sites. Two stations are already built near UH West Oahu, while one station is at LCC.“And the (HCC ) rail station, which is scheduled to start construction, ” Young said.But at the meeting, Honolulu County Regent Neil Abercrombie questioned aspects of the project that could impact HCC.Abercrombie said although he understood “what’s at stake ” with regards to placing rail equipment at the community college he also wanted to ensure, via the amendment, who had final authority over this project.“After all of the clarification, after all of the collaboration, after all of the discussion, who makes that decision and is that decision final ?” he asked.In response, city Deputy Corporation Counsel Lisa Hirahara said the “original MUOA actually has a dispute resolution clause, which requires mediation if the parties are unable to come to terms.”“And the mediation then decides what the decision will be ?” Abercrombie queried.“If mediation is unsuccessful then parties may commence legal action in Circuit Court, if there’s still a dispute, ” Hirahara replied.“Has it ever come to that ?” Abercrombie asked.“No, ” Hirahara said.Later, the board voted unanimously to approve the requested authorization for UH to enter into the First Amendment to the MOUA with the city and HART “for the construction and operation ” of the rail project “on portions of university property.”After the meeting, Young told the Star-Advertiser that the city, HART and UH have “identified the general footprint for the station and associated infrastructure within areas of the HCC campus where the project would be located.”“The utilities and related infrastructure would generally be located along the Dillingham Boulevard frontage of the HCC campus, ” he said.Asked whether the city or HART will compensate UH for use of that property, Young said the agreements “do not include monetary compensation for use of the property.”Still, he noted UH’s concerns over the Mauka Shift, and the planned station at HCC, have “included defining the specific areas of campus that would be impacted, minimizing construction-related disruptions—noise, vibrations, access, and safety issues—clarifying long-term responsibilities and ensuring that future campus uses are not adversely affected.”But Young said the presence of a Skyline station at HCC could be “a significant benefit to students, employees and the surrounding community.”“The project will improve access to the campus and support broader mobility in the area, ” he asserted.