Located at the southwest corner of Hawaii's Oahu island, Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor is about 16 nautical miles (24 kilometers, 15 miles by air) from Honolulu. The US Naval Air Station at Barbers Point was commissioned in 1942. It was closed in 1999 and transferred to the State of Hawaii. Ka lae loa is the native name, meaning "long cape," for Barbers Point. The 2000 US Census reported a population of 67 in Kalaeloa.
The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) is the redevelopment agency for Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor. The runways and related facilities that were part of the Naval Air Station are now the Kalaeloa Airport. The US Navy kept the Barbers Point Housing.
In 1796, Captain Henry Barber commanded the British brig called Arthur as he traveled to China. Stopping at Honolulu for supplies, Barber's ship broke up on a reef. The survivors of the wreck, including Captain Barber, landed on the southwest point of the island, which has been called Barbers Point since that event.
The Kalaeloa Community Development District covers almost 3700 acres of land that are owned by government agencies (federal, state, and county). In the end, the Navy still controls 66% of the lands. The District developed a Reuse Plan for the 2000+ acres that were considered surplus after the Naval Air Station closed.
In 2002, the State Legislature made the Hawaii Community Development Authority responsible for implementing the Reuse Plan and for all of the lands within the former Naval Air Station, including those that the Navy retained. HDCA establishes land use and zoning designations that support redevelopment.
Today, Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor includes several government facilities including the airport, National Guard, Coast Guard, veterans' services, and several Navy facilities. It also contains an elementary school, the Hale Ulu Pono shelter, commercial establishments, rental housing, recreational areas, and public beaches. However, most of Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor is still undeveloped.
The State of Hawaii intends that Kalaeloa should be a center for excellence in research, education, industry, commerce, and environment. This includes cultural and recreational uses. Employment of professionals, however, has not kept pace with the Reuse Plan.
The 2006 Master Plan for Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor refines the vision outlined in the Reuse Plan and revises planning milestones. The current Plan addresses a 20-year development effort that could create as many as seven thousand jobs, housing for more than six thousand families, and supporting infrastructure and community resources.
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