Old Federal Building Restoration

Restoration and renovation of the Old Federal Building, also known as the US Post Office, Custom House and Court House, preserves an important landmark structure in the Hawai‘i Capital Historic District. Now called the King Kalakaua Building, it was the first federal office building constructed by the US government in Hawaii, and was designed to house all federal agencies on Oahu except the Department of Defense. The National Register of Historic Places listed structure was designed by York and Sawyer of New York and built in two major phases, the first completed in 1922. Its construction introduced Mediterranean style architecture to Hawaii.

The property was purchased from the US Postal Service by a private developer in 2001 for renovation, restoration, and conversion to an office condominium whose owners are the State of Hawaii, for its Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), and the US Postal Service (USPS). This effort was based on two feasibility studies—prepared by CDS in 1994 and 2000 for the US Postal Service—that detailed how the interior office spaces could be modernized with central air conditioning, lighting, power, and telecommunications systems.

CDS’s design services included all tenant improvements for the USPS and DCCA, and rehabilitation and restoration of the historic exterior and public interior spaces.

2003 – 2004 GOVERNOR’S PRESERVATION HONOR AWARD

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation & Governor Linda Lingle

2004 PRESERVATION HONOR AWARD

For the sensitive restoration and renovation of the historic U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Court House
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation

2004 KŪKULU HALE AWARD

Renovation Project of the Year (Commercial, Over 40,000 Square Feet)
NAIOP HawaiiSW