Building Analysis - Vida at 888 Ala Moana: ~ by Jonathan Ford Sadly, as of 1/22/2016 the developer of Vida has canceled plans to go forward with the project quoting slower than expected sales and rising construction costs. 40% of the building had been sold.
Vida at 888 Ala Moana is an anticipated luxury high rise to be completed in the spring of 2018 by the Kobayashi and MacNaughton Groups who also developed top tier luxury buildings such as Hokua, One Ala Moana, Capitol Place and more. Designs for the project have been done Honolulu's Benjamin Woo Architects and Los Angeles's Arquitectonica.
Original developer pricing starts at around $1 million and reach well over $4 million, while maintenance fees are projected to be $0.93/sf. The project will consist of 2 and 3 bedroom units and Vida will be implementing green design in order to seek LEED certification upon completion. Energy conservation features include: hot water heated by air-conditioning heat recovery, hot water recirculating loop for instant hot water and individually metered water, sewer and electric to encourage conservation in each unit. Vida will also be a smoke free building
Vida will be located on the current site of Cutter Honolulu car dealership and on Diamond Head side Kamehameha School's "Our Kakaako" master plan. Well within walking distance of Kakaako Waterfront park, Kewalo Basin Harbor and Ala Moana Beach Park. A mix of Shops, restaurants and cafes are planned for the commercial spaces at the base of the project.
Vida at 888 Ala Moana - Additional Information
High School:
Not Available
Middle School:
Not Available
Elem. School:
Not Available
Common Areas for Residents
Vida is designed to be a top of the line building - its amenities are consistent with that and will be some of the best in the city. The recreation deck will be on the 5th floor and amenities geared towards hosting a party include a private dining room with a chef’s kitchen as well as a wine room and a private theater. For outdoor entertaining there are also 5 BBQ cabanas and an outdoor theater.
Children will enjoy the kids play area, the kid’s gym and the game room; while dog owners will appreciate the bark park.
In supporting active lifestyles there will be a gym, yoga room, 2 pools, 2 spas, putting green, as well as storage for bikes, paddleboards and surfboards.
Specialty Amenities that you won’t see in your average building include 4 guest suites that owners may reserve in advance for guests (at a fee), community gardens for those with a green thumb, music rooms, conference room, and even a craft room and tool workshop.
Storage units available for sale will be on the 6th floor and will feature larger storage rooms with glass windows overlooking the recreation deck that could be used as a small office.
Private Condo Features
Residential units are to start on the 7th floor - just high enough that every unit in the project should enjoy an ocean view.
A fairly unique and upscale feature of Vida's floor plates are that with 6 elevators residents can go directly from the elevator in to their unit, without ever having to access the floor level hallway. Residents will have the option of using the open air hallways to access the larger service elevator or the trash room.
Each residence at Vida will come with a large lanai that not only provides outdoor space for all units but also provides some protection from direct sunlight into the unit to help keep them cool. The single load design of the building should also allow for great cross ventilation for each unit, further reducing the need for AC. The expansive floor to ceiling windows will be double paned for sound and heat protections. Ceilings are an impressive 9.5’ tall.
Kitchens will come equipped with top of the line appliances such as Sub-zero refrigerator and wine fridge, Wolf gas range and cooking equipment, Asko dishwasher, Quartz countertops and Studio Becker cabinets. All master baths will have a separate tub and walk-in shower, Toto toilets, a double sink with marble countertops - wall with Dornbracht fixtures. Engineered walnut wood flooring will be in the entry, living and kitchen areas with carpeting in the bedroom. There will be a laundry/utility room with full size Maytag washer/dryer.
The Bottom Line Best features: Large units, spacious lanais, ocean views and great building design should make Vida one of the most sought after buildings in the Honolulu.
Potential drawbacks: Units on the Diamond Head side may lose views to future construction. There may also be developments on the Kakaako Makai side of Ala Moana Blvd which is zoned for a 200 ft height limit.
Sample kitchen and bath photos - Kobayashi and MacNaughton Groups
projected site plan
Condominium Configurations - Vida at 888 Ala Moana
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2
Square Feet:
1,418 SF
Lanai:
253
Qty:
31
Found in units: 05
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2.5
Square Feet:
1,547 SF
Lanai:
NA
Qty:
31
Comments:
2 bedroom plus den
Found in units: 02
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2.5
Square Feet:
1,547 SF
Lanai:
263
Qty:
31
Comments:
2 bedroom plus den
Found in units: 03
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2.5
Square Feet:
1,547 SF
Lanai:
253
Qty:
31
Comments:
2 bedroom plus den
Found in units: 06
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2.5
Square Feet:
1,726 SF
Lanai:
152
Qty:
31
Found in units: 00
Bedrooms:
2
Baths:
2.5
Square Feet:
1,726 SF
Lanai:
152
Qty:
31
Found in units: 01
Bedrooms:
3
Baths:
3.5
Square Feet:
1,942 SF
Lanai:
289
Qty:
31
Found in units: 08
Bedrooms:
3
Baths:
3.5
Square Feet:
2,040 SF
Lanai:
289
Qty:
31
Found in units: 07
The above active listings are based on information from the Multiple Listing Service of the Hicentral MLS, Ltd. Active listings last updated on 1/22/2016. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Copyright: 2016 by the Hicentral MLS, Ltd. more.
Vida is designed to be a top of the line building - its amenities are consistent with that and will be some of the best in the city. The recreation deck will be on the 5th floor and amenities geared towards hosting a party include a private dining room with a chef’s kitchen as well as a wine room and a private theater. For outdoor entertaining there are also 5 BBQ cabanas and an outdoor theater.
Children will enjoy the kids play area, the kid’s gym and the game room; while dog owners will appreciate the bark park.
In supporting active lifestyles there will be a gym, yoga room, 2 pools, 2 spas, putting green, as well as storage for bikes, paddleboards and surfboards.
Specialty Amenities that you won’t see in your average building include 4 guest suites that owners may reserve in advance for guests (at a fee), community gardens for those with a green thumb, music rooms, conference room, and even a craft room and tool workshop.
Storage units available for sale will be on the 6th floor and will feature larger storage rooms with glass windows overlooking the recreation deck that could be used as a small office.
Private Condo Features
Residential units are to start on the 7th floor - just high enough that every unit in the project should enjoy an ocean view.
A fairly unique and upscale feature of Vida's floor plates are that with 6 elevators residents can go directly from the elevator in to their unit, without ever having to access the floor level hallway. Residents will have the option of using the open air hallways to access the larger service elevator or the trash room.
Each residence at Vida will come with a large lanai that not only provides outdoor space for all units but also provides some protection from direct sunlight into the unit to help keep them cool. The single load design of the building should also allow for great cross ventilation for each unit, further reducing the need for AC. The expansive floor to ceiling windows will be double paned for sound and heat protections. Ceilings are an impressive 9.5’ tall.
Kitchens will come equipped with top of the line appliances such as Sub-zero refrigerator and wine fridge, Wolf gas range and cooking equipment, Asko dishwasher, Quartz countertops and Studio Becker cabinets. All master baths will have a separate tub and walk-in shower, Toto toilets, a double sink with marble countertops - wall with Dornbracht fixtures. Engineered walnut wood flooring will be in the entry, living and kitchen areas with carpeting in the bedroom. There will be a laundry/utility room with full size Maytag washer/dryer.
The Bottom Line
Best features: Large units, spacious lanais, ocean views and great building design should make Vida one of the most sought after buildings in the Honolulu.
Potential drawbacks: Units on the Diamond Head side may lose views to future construction. There may also be developments on the Kakaako Makai side of Ala Moana Blvd which is zoned for a 200 ft height limit.