The Central Ala Moana

The Central Ala Moana stands at 1391 Kapi‘olani Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96814, on the makai side of Kapi‘olani at Kona Iki Street. It was the second Honolulu tower from SamKoo Pacific, following Kapiolani Residence, and was designed by Design Partners and built by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. — the same team as the first project.

Construction began in 2019 and the building was completed in 2021. All 512 fee simple residences were sold by the developer, so anything available at The Central today is a resale — an owner selling on the open market, with no lottery, no application, and no developer contract involved.

The Central at a Glance

Affordable and Market Homes in One Tower

In exchange for height, density, and fee concessions from the State, SamKoo set aside the majority of the tower for local buyers who met income limits under the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) program. The rest were sold at market prices with no income restrictions.

Why This Matters When You Buy a Resale

• Market homes — The 202 market residences were sold without HHFDC restrictions. They trade like any other condominium, and they account for most of the resale listings you will see in the building.
• Affordable homes — The 310 affordable residences were sold subject to HHFDC restrictions recorded against the unit, including an owner-occupancy requirement, a State buyback period, and shared appreciation equity owed to HHFDC when the home is sold.
• What that means for you — You do not need to income-qualify to buy a resale on the open market. But if the home you want was originally an affordable unit, the seller has to clear their obligations to HHFDC before or at closing. We confirm a unit’s status early so it does not become a surprise in escrow.

Inside the Residences

The Central was planned as a step up from Kapiolani Residence, with larger homes and better finishes than SamKoo’s first tower. The building runs parallel to the shoreline, so residences face either the ocean or the mountains.

Typical floor plate, from the developer’s sales materials.

Features as originally delivered by the developer. A resale residence may have been upgraded or changed by its owner.

The Amenity Deck

The amenities sit together on the 11th-floor deck — a real difference from Kapiolani Residence, which was built without a pool.

Amenity deck rendering, courtesy of SamKoo Pacific and SamKoo Hawaii.

Buying a Resale at The Central

Buying here now works like any other condominium resale on O‘ahu: you make an offer to the owner, negotiate, inspect, and close through escrow. With a finished building nothing is a rendering anymore — you can stand in the actual residence, see the actual view, and read the association’s actual financials. These are the things we look at with buyers:

• Market or affordable origin — The first question on any listing here, for the reasons above. It affects how clean and how fast the closing will be.
• Ocean side or mountain side — The two faces of the tower are different products. Same floor plan, different view, different price. We compare a listing against recent sales on the same side and at a similar height.
• Maintenance fees — Fees vary by residence size and change over time. We pull the current fee for the specific home and what it covers, so you are comparing a real monthly number.
• The condominium documents — During escrow you receive the association’s budget, reserve study, board minutes, house rules, and insurance summary. Use that review period to actually read them.
• Parking — The number of stalls is not the same from home to home. Confirm exactly what conveys with the one you are buying.
• House rules — If you have pets or plan to rent the home out at some point, check the current pet policy and minimum rental term before you write an offer, not after.
• Financing — Lenders review the building as well as the borrower. Tell your loan officer the building name early so there are no surprises in underwriting.

See What Is Available at The Central

Location & Neighborhood

The name is accurate. The Central sits between Waikīkī and downtown Honolulu, on the makai side of Kapi‘olani Boulevard, with Ala Moana Center directly behind it.

• Ala Moana Center next door
• Walmart and Sam’s Club a couple of blocks up Ke‘eaumoku Street
• Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island a short walk makai
• Ward Village and Kaka‘ako a few minutes ‘Ewa
• Kapi‘olani Boulevard for a direct run into downtown or Waikīkī

This is a busy urban address on one of Honolulu’s main boulevards. Visit at different times of day before you decide which side of the building suits you.

Building Details

Interested in The Central Ala Moana?

Find out what is for sale at The Central right now, get alerts when a specific size or side of the building is listed, or talk through how a finished tower here compares with the new projects selling in Ala Moana and Kaka‘ako. We represent you as your buyer’s agent.

Contact Us

REMAX Hawaii West Oahu