Channel House community in Lahaina to break ground on reconstruction project
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Owners of the Channel House condominium community plan to break ground Friday on a reconstruction project intended to bring families displaced by the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire one step closer to returning home.
The invitation-only ceremony will be held at the property at 1010 Front St. Demolition is scheduled to begin Aug. 17, with the project targeting completion in time for residents to return home by Christmas 2027.
Before the wildfire, Channel House was home to 39 families, including owner-occupants and long-term renters. The community housed teachers, farmers, chefs, law enforcement officers, military retirees and other longtime members of the Lahaina community.
The property has been owned by the Sylva family for generations, and owner Bruce Sylva said rebuilding represents a fresh start and a continuation of the family’s commitment to preserving the property’s history and restoring a place where families can once again live and gather. Sylva’s grandfather, Frank H. Sylva, was born on the property.
Maui musician and minister Wilmont Kamaunu Kahaiali'i, brother of the late musician Willie K, will lead a blessing during the groundbreaking ceremony.
"We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and this time, it isn’t a train," said Gregg Sherwood, a Channel House owner and retired construction manager.
According to the owners, the reconstruction process has required years of planning, permitting and coordination. Integrity Building Consultants of Hawaii, led by Trisha Egge, is serving as construction manager and owner’s representative.
"Every added requirement, added cost and month of delay has mattered because the owners have a limited amount of money to rebuild and residents are still waiting to come home," Egge said. "Our job has been to keep the entire team moving in the same direction -- finding practical savings without sacrificing quality, documenting decisions and turning a very complicated regulatory process into an achievable path home."
The reconstruction is being led by the Association of Apartment Owners of Channel House. Lehua Builders is the general contractor, and Arquitectura is the architect.
The project includes the reconstruction of four residential buildings, underground utilities and common areas destroyed in the wildfire.