Councilman Don Couch has arranged a meeting between undisclosed representatives of Eclipse Development Group of Irvine, CA, which has begun initial steps to build adjoining Pi’ilani Promenade and Maui Outlet Malls along the mauka side of the Pi’ilani Highway on each side of Kaonoulu (extended) in North Kihei, and the KCA Board of Directors on 7/9/12. While KCA had contacted the three listed members of the “executive team,” President Douglas Gray, EVP Paul Bernard, CFO Peter Dunn, and on island representative Charles Jenks to participate in the June 19th community meeting, it is not clear if any of them will participate in this meeting with the KCA BOD.
Will this lead to Eclipse meeting with the South Maui Community at a future meeting? Time and Eclipse will tell.
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if i was them i wouldn’t show up.
This is a reply from an Maui resident/businessman and acquaintance to whom I had sent the public meeting notice:
Aloha,
The problem is, you see, that the payoffs, kickbacks, bribery, contracts have already been negotiated between our corrupt county and state governments (It?s tradition you see, just an accepted part of the DPWS and their 3rd world way of doing ?business. It?s not even thought of as being wrong.) I?ve been here for almost 40 years and it just keeps on getting worse. Harsh prison sentences would probably help, but the judges are part of the corrupt system! I wish you the best of luck. Unfortunately, as long as it doesn?t put money into a politicians pocket, it won?t get done.
Perhaps forcing the politicos and their groupies, the developers, to upgrade all of S Kihei?s crumbling roads, sewage and other basic infrastructure before one shovel of rocky soil is moved could make this a little sweeter. Good luck w/ that! How did Don Couch get to use our money to bribe his staff w/out even having to keep it a secret? Who is(n?t) bribing him?
Why aren?t they all audited before and after each election? Blatant….Good luck stopping them. Remember, it ain?t the developers who issue the permits to do these atrocities. It?s our county and state governments!
Meeting with the KCA BOD is way too little too late. We want a huge public meeting a the Kihei Community Center. This megamall project is absolutely unacceptable.
Their project is not based on an accurate picture of Maui. Flooding retail economy with new retail space will hurt everyone. They need to look at the numbers of shoppers in the existing retail spaces and at the many available/empty retail spaces. As justification for viability they have used Maui’s median family income. The value to them is not comparable with the mainland as it is reduced by the very high costs for housing, food, electricity, water and gas on Maui. In addition, Asian tourists are interested in shopping but not those from the mainland. Most of Maui’s tourists are from the mainland.
I agree, we need a public forum. Why were we not ‘in the loop’ with the Mayor on this project. There are three major points of investment into south Maui other than this monster. We desperatly need a High School and what of the ‘Downtown Kihei’ project behind Long’s and Azeka Mauka centers. Of course there is the connection to Haliimaiile, which leads to the water question. We have Maui citizens that have been waiting years for water meters and now this monster is being erected….someone said Honolulu here we come….
Nice of Don to take some initiative after three months of no action. A Board meeting is a good first step, but a full community meeting open to the public should be the next step. And full disclosure of the developers traffic studies as well as demand for an updated traffic study and water access report should be delivered to the public.
Mahalo to ALL of the above comments.Each one of you has touched upon very vital points in this travesty to Kihei, Maui, its citizens, its lifestyle, and the corruption of our politicians. Among the many issues related to the Mall, I have a hard time digesting the lack of the much needed Kihei High School while this Mega Mall is being built adjacent to the high school?s vacant lot.
How come the Kihei High School has been on the South Miami Growth Site Plan for over 11 years and this Mega Mall was never on the site plan, as a Mega Mall?
How come $20million dollars to build the Kihei High School lapsed because of zoning on a state and local level? And it will be years before we see a high school. Yet, this Mega Mall is allowed to
to pass through non-compliance of Land Use Commission conditions, slipping in on light industrial, and has begun work on the property.
Who kept this Mega Mall off the South Maui Growth Plan? Who allowed this Mega Mall to slip by everything and everyone to be developed? Who is benefiting from this Mega Mall other than the developer? Has consumerism become more important than education? Where are our values?
What ever meeting is to occur with Eclipse, I, as a resident of Kihei, believe it needs to be a public forum. They have insulted our intelligence and ignored our desires for a healthy economy and lifestyle that benefits and befits our community. They need to meet us face to face.
Its funny how you people grumble about why is this mall being built instead of the Kihei High School, maybe its because the DOE doesn’t have the money and maybe you should grumble to them about it. If Eclipse Development has the money to move forward with their project its not there fault the high school ain’t getting built its not their responsibility. And also you grumble about how it was suppose to be light industrial but they now changed their minds and want to build a mall, the same thing happened with the Maui Business Park II in Kahului, its light industrial but they now have plans to build the Puunene Shopping Center with Target in it and hmm funny how no one is upset about that one?? on Puunene Shopping Center plans it said its zoning is light industrial good for warehouse office space distribution and storage of good and also retail space, so if light industrial covers all of that for the Maui Business Park why is retail not ok for this zoning of light industrial for the Outlet mall and shopping center?? It seems to me that everyone is making up something just to try and stop the mall from being built, the zoning and planning of this was years ago so if you missed out on it then thats to bad, i guess you moved here a little to late cause i was young and remember reading in the maui news about the development on that property, and to me if they wanted to build a industial park and now changed their minds and want a mall instead its up to them, its their land and their money are you people chipping your own money out of your own pockets? no right so why are you upset as if you have a say in this when you don’t. I really do hope there is a big meeting in the Kihei Community Center where the public and not only the people of the KCA can go to cause i already talked to a lot of construction workers and friends from other retail and tourism businesses and they are all wanting to have a say on how they want this mall.
oh btw if you are really trying to stop this mall better hurry cause i read a article in the Pacific Business News and the deadline to open its first phase is fall of 2013 and the other in early 2014 🙂 i can’t wait.