Vision for Turtle Bay Guided by Community

For nearly 40 years, the community has been dedicated to shaping a shared vision for Turtle Bay in alignment with the Ko‘olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan. The vision protects the natural environment and preserves open spaces for the public in perpetuity while allowing responsible resort and residential development.

 Plans for Turtle Bay date back to 1986, when the resort was granted a Special Management Area (SMA) permit and entered into a Unilateral Agreement with the City and County of Honolulu that allowed the development of 20 parcels with up to 3,500 new units. Following extensive community dialogue and settlement agreements, Turtle Bay’s development plans have evolved to limit the number of new units to 725, preserving 75% of the property as open space in perpetuity and reducing the density of future development by 80%.

 The preservation of Turtle Bay is one of the many qualities that attracted Areté Collective to O‘ahu’s North Shore. Founded on the belief that development can be done sustainably, honoring the natural beauty of the land and benefiting surrounding communities, Areté sincerely appreciates the thought and care invested in determining the future of the area. Its project has always been guided by the feedback of local residents and respects and reflects the SMA permit conditions, Unilateral Agreement, and Ko‘olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan.

Collectively, these historic steps were a huge win for conservation and limited future development to just 25% of the property, reducing the density allowed by 80%

Recent News

Development Update July 2026

Development Update July 2026

Construction continues on all four building sitesand Kaihalulu East Drive. 
Selective tree trimming on H2 and RR3 paused at the end of May and will resume after September 15, when the ‘ōpe’ape’a (Hawaiian hoary bat) pupping season concludes.
Mauka basins work is nearly complete with the installation of fencing.
Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of shoreline restoration and native planting.

read more
Development Update June 2026

Development Update June 2026

Construction continues, primarily focused on pads 3 and 4 of RR3 and Kaihalulu East Drive.
Selective tree trimming on H2 and RR3 paused at the end of May and will resume after September 15, when the ‘ōpe’ape’a (Hawaiian hoary bat) pupping season concludes.
Mauka basins work is nearly complete.
Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of shoreline restoration and native planting.

read more