NOTICE TO INTERESTED PARTIES
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (“RFQ”) /
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (“RFP”)
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF A
COMMERCIAL CAMPGROUND AND PUBLIC DAY USE BEACH PARK
AT MALAEKAHANA STATE RECREATION AREA – KAHUKU SECTION
The State of Hawai’i (“State”) Department of Land and Natural Resources (“DLNR”) is issuing a Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) / Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to qualified applicants interested in developing and operating a commercial campground and public day use beach park on state-owned lands at Malaekahana State Recreation Area – Kahuku Section, Laie, Ko’olauloa, Island of O’ahu, Hawai’i, identified by Tax Map Keys: (1) 5-6-001: Parcels 024, 025, 045 to 047, 049, 051, and 053 to 065, inclusive.
The twenty (20) separate but contiguous parcels above comprise approximately 36.288 acres of land in total and include all the lands encompassing the Kahuku (northern) park section of the Malaekahana State Recreation Area. This RFQ/RFP is intended to facilitate the development and operation of a commercial campground and public day use beach park on the Kahuku Section through the issuance of a new lease for park and outdoor recreational purposes to a qualified applicant who submits the most favorable proposal to the State.
DLNR intends to select the applicant who meets the eligibility criteria and whose proposal best satisfies DLNR’s objectives and RFQ/RFP selection criteria. The selected applicant will enter into exclusive negotiations with DLNR for a lease agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions under which the selected applicant would be allowed to lease the subject property for a term of twenty (20) years or as determined through the RFP process. The selected applicant shall be responsible for obtaining land use entitlements and government approvals/permits, as may be required, as well as approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources (“BLNR”) before a lease may be issued.
The selected applicant’s lease will commence upon completion of the selected applicant’s proposed improvements or upon commencement of the selected applicant’s commercial operations, whichever happens sooner, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the lease, subject to the review and approval of the Chairperson. DLNR will complete the construction of a portion of the permanent infrastructure improvements on the subject property at no cost or expense to the selected applicant and the selected applicant will be solely responsible for the maintenance of the said public recreational facilities and additional buildout.
To be eligible for consideration in this RFQ/RFP process, interested parties must first complete
and submit a Notice of Intent form by no later than 4:00 p.m., September 28, 2025, to any of the DLNR State Parks Offices listed below, or by email to State Parks Lead Property Manager Brigida Ayson at brigida.v.ayson@hawaii.gov and/or State Parks Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter at alan.b.carpenter@hawaii.gov. Anyone who fails to submit a completed Notice of Intent by this deadline shall not be eligible to submit qualifications and proposal and therefore shall not be considered for this project. The Notice of Intent form is included in this RFQ/RFP package.
The next step of the RFQ/RFP process is the submission of statement of qualifications and general plan by no later than 4:00 p.m. October 18, 2025, to any of the DLNR State Parks District Offices below. DLNR, through an evaluation committee, will determine which applicants meet the RFQ selection criteria (alternatively, DLNR may form a short list of the "most qualified" applicants) and are eligible to participate in the second step of the RFQ/RFP process. This second portion of the process will invite eligible applicants to submit a detailed proposal for the subject property. An evaluation committee appointed by the Chairperson will evaluate the submitted proposals and select the applicant whose proposal best satisfies the RFQ/RFP objectives and selection criteria as provided in this RFQ/RFP. The Board of Land and Natural Resources (“Board”) will make the final decision as to whether the selected applicant meets the objectives and the selection criteria. Once approved by the Board, the selected applicant and DLNR will commence negotiations of the lease agreement.
Additional deadlines and significant dates are set forth in this RFQ/RFP.
Copies of this RFQ/RFP may be obtained at the following DLNR State Parks offices or downloaded from the DLNR website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/malaekahana-2026.
Oahu State Parks District Office – 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 310, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Maui State Parks District Office – 54 S. High Street, Room 101, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
Hawaii State Parks District Office – 75 Aupuni Street, Room 204, Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Kauai State Parks District Office – 3060 Ewa Street, Room 306, Lihue, Hawaii 96766
DLNR reserves the right to amend, cancel or terminate this RFQ/RFP, request modifications to any application proposal or proposed lease, and reject any and all submissions whether it is in the best interest of DLNR or the State of Hawaii. DLNR further reserves the right to negotiate with the selected applicant any additional terms, conditions, or modifications to the terms set forth in this RFQ/RFP or in the selected applicant’s proposal provided, however, that any negotiated modifications shall not result in the rents or payments to DLNR being less than the fees or payments proposed in the selected applicant’s proposal.
If there are any inquiries regarding this RFQ/RFP, or if any person requires a special accommodation (e.g., large print materials, sign language interpreters), please contact State Parks Lead Property Manager Brigida Ayson at (808) 587-0289 or email brigida.v.ayson@hawaii.gov. You may also contact State Parks Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter at (808) 587-0286 or email alan.b.carpenter@hawaii.gov.
(SA1504992 9/10/25)
