Marine Corps Base Hawaii -- Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Hunt Military Communities celebrated the completion of a new 40 home redevelopment of the Nani Ulupa’u neighborhood with a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony, July 8, 2020.
Col. Speros C. Koumparakis, the MCBH commanding officer, and Sgt. Maj. Lester Williams, the base sergeant major, were among those involved with the project’s celebration ceremony; also in attendance were Hunt community managers, development and operations employees, and Hunt community residents.
“Today marked another major milestone in our public-private partnership with the United States Department of the Navy to provide high-quality homes for Hawaii-based Marines,” said Brent Arakaki, director of development for Hunt. “We are proud to provide our deserving service members with high quality housing in beautiful, welcoming communities to raise their families in.”
In Hawaii, the completion of a significant project involves a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony. Performed by a Hawaiian Kahu (literally translated to “keeper” or “honored servant”), the purpose of Hawaiian blessing ceremonies is to invite goodness, aloha, happiness, harmony, health, peace, protection and abundance into a space.
The Nani Ulupa’u project was scheduled to complete within 14 months of the start of construction, June 2019, and was successfully completed six weeks ahead of schedule.
“A home is the bedrock for any family,” explained Sgt. Maj. Williams. “The redevelopment project plays a critical role in the resiliency and readiness of the Marines and their families, by providing a relaxing, secure and stable environment for your families during everyday living, a deployment, and upon your return.”
The field-grade officer housing waitlist ranks as one of the most prolonged wait periods, up to two years, due to the shortage of inventory versus demand.
“This project has helped alleviate the shortage of housing and will satisfy one of the largest wait list categories on MCBH,” said Williams.
The homes feature numerous amenities including garages fitted with electric vehicle charger plugs, energy efficient air conditioning systems, increased insulation in the walls and conditioned attic spaces to guard against the corrosive environment, Energy Star appliances, and 100% LED lighting throughout the community.
“Knowing your family is in a secure and stable environment enables you to focus on the mission, which enables your readiness,” said Williams. “We all know that military life presents a variety of challenges, and your home shouldn’t be one of those.”