There are several major development proposals moving through different stages of the planning and approval process in and around Wailea.
They include potential changes to portions of Wailea Golf, 273 proposed residences along Wailea Ike Drive and Kālai Waʻa Street, the long-planned Honuaʻula development mauka of Wailea, and Mākena Mauka farther south.
If you own property in Wailea or are considering buying here, these projects are worth understanding. They could eventually affect traffic, views, density, infrastructure and the overall character of certain parts of the resort.
The key word, however, is eventually.
Some projects are actively moving through permitting. Others could still be many years or even decades away.
So what is actually moving forward, what is still being discussed, and what should Wailea property owners be paying attention to right now?
Here is where things stand as of fall 2026.
Wailea Golf: Two Different Plans Are Still on the Table
One of the biggest issues we are watching involves the future of portions of the Wailea Golf property.
The South Maui Community Plan currently under review by the Maui County Council includes a Wailea Golf plan previously approved by the Maui Planning Commission.
The Wailea Community Association does not support that version.
Instead, WCA supports a revised concept developed through discussions involving Wailea Golf and representatives from different parts of the Wailea community.
That revised concept would preserve 36 holes of championship golf, continue and enhance a racket-sport facility, eliminate proposed development makai of Keala O Wailea and eliminate proposed development mauka of Wailea Point.
Those are significant differences.
There is also an important detail.
Wailea Golf has not publicly endorsed the revised concept.
At the September 17 WCA Townhall, the association reported that Wailea Golf intended to continue supporting the Planning Commission-approved version while discussions continued.
Bottom line: nothing is settled yet.
For owners around Wailea Point, Keala O Wailea and other nearby Wailea condo communities, this is something worth paying close attention to.
273 New Residences Proposed in Wailea
This proposal is much further along in the process.
Ledcor Maui is seeking approvals to develop several remaining undeveloped parcels along Wailea Ike Drive and Kālai Waʻa Street.
The current proposal calls for 273 residences, including 233 market-rate residences, four on-site employee units and 36 workforce rental units proposed to remain deed-restricted in perpetuity.
The market-rate residences would be developed on the B1 parcel located South of Keala O Wailea and MF-16 parcel located West of Wailea Fairway Villas and just North of The Ridge at Wailea.
The nearby B2 parcel would instead contain open space and restoration areas.
There is another interesting component to this project.
Workforce Housing Inside Wailea
The MF-10 parcel is planned for 68 one- and two-bedroom rental residences developed in two phases.
The first phase would consist of 36 perpetually deed-restricted workforce rentals.
A future second phase could add another 32 rentals.
Ledcor has described this as the first perpetually deed-restricted workforce rental housing within Wailea in its roughly 50-year history.
The location is intentional. The property is within walking distance of many of Wailea’s hotels, restaurants and employers, with the housing intended in part for people working in hospitality, healthcare and the trades.
So where does the project stand?
Ledcor submitted its SMA application in April 2026.
The Wailea Community Association granted conceptual design-review approval in July.
The project completed the Urban Design Review Board process in August.
A Maui Planning Commission public hearing is scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 9:00 AM.
This project is clearly moving through the process.
That does not, however, mean it has received final approval to build.
Honuaʻula Could Eventually Transform Piʻilani Highway
Honuaʻula has been talked about for years.
The approximately 670-acre development sits mauka of Wailea and could ultimately include as many as 1,150 residences, including at least 288 workforce housing units.
Plans also include approximately 150 acres of conservation land and public spaces.
For existing Wailea property owners, however, one of the biggest potential changes may actually happen outside Honuaʻula itself.
Piʻilani Highway.
Current project conditions require Piʻilani Highway between Kilohana Drive and Wailea Ike Drive to be widened to four lanes before most construction begins.
There is another option currently being discussed.
Honuaʻula could potentially provide an additional 50 workforce housing units in exchange for the State assuming responsibility for the highway widening, subject to an agreement with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.
That would increase the project’s workforce housing commitment to at least 338 units.
As of the September WCA Townhall, that agreement was still being worked out, and the timing and federal funding for the highway improvements remained uncertain.
Honuaʻula Partners has also committed its roadways for public use as a mauka emergency egress route toward Ulupalakua Ranch and has maintained a substantial firebreak along Wailea.
The takeaway is that the four-lane expansion of Piʻilani Highway remains a major component of Honuaʻula’s future.
There simply isn’t a construction date to circle on the calendar yet.
Mākena Mauka Continues Moving Forward
Farther south, Mākena Mauka is another major proposed development worth watching.
Current plans call for 652 total units, including 109 workforce housing units, spread across approximately 1,000 acres.
Plans also include renovating and reopening the Mākena South golf course.
The project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed development of lands above Mākena Alanui Road has been accepted by the Maui Planning Commission.
That is an important milestone.
It is not the same thing as receiving final approval for the entire development.
The Wailea Community Association has also raised concerns regarding potential traffic impacts at the Wailea Ike and Wailea Alanui intersection, along with the importance of providing mauka emergency access toward Kula Highway.
Is All of This Development Really Coming Soon?
Probably not.
This is where perspective matters.
A Community Plan can identify what land could potentially become over decades.
It does not mean everything shown on a planning map is going to start construction next year.
At the September Townhall, WCA noted that South Maui has averaged approximately 120 permitted residential units per year over the past 20 years.
Wailea itself has developed approximately 2,500 residential units over roughly 50 years.
Maui County Planning Director Jacky Takakura made a similar point during the South Maui Community Plan review, noting that many projects already approved in South Maui may still be decades away from construction.
That distinction matters.
A Community Plan is not a building permit.
Individual projects still have to work through applicable County reviews, approvals, infrastructure requirements and, in some cases, years of additional planning.
What Wailea Property Owners Should Watch Next
There are two immediate items I would be watching.
First is the County Council’s continued review of the South Maui Community Plan, particularly what ultimately happens with the Wailea Golf properties.
Second is Ledcor’s proposal along Wailea Ike Drive and Kālai Waʻa Street, with its Maui Planning Commission public hearing scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Those decisions should give us more clarity about what the next chapter of Wailea could look like.
But I wouldn’t look at any of these projects in isolation.
When you own or buy real estate in Wailea, location within Wailea matters tremendously.
A proposed project that may have very little impact on one condominium community could be much more relevant to another because of traffic, views, density, access or proximity.
That’s why we focus on the facts.
What is proposed?
Where exactly is it located?
How far through the approval process is it?
And what could it realistically mean for a specific property?
My family and our team have been selling real estate on Maui for decades, and we have watched Wailea evolve through multiple development cycles.
If you own property in Wailea or are considering purchasing here and want to understand how any of these proposed developments could relate to a specific property or condominium community, give us a call.
We’re happy to walk through it with you.
Aloha,
Anthony Sayles R(S)
808-280-6532