Hawaii’s newest continuing care retirement community in Nu‘uanu. 15 Craigside is a moderate income retirement community. It offers a lifetime residency with a continuum of care that begins with independent living in one’s apartment with access to health care services, food, convenience services, personal assistance, if requested, security, maintenance, maid and linen service, numerous programs, activities and entertainment and, along the continuum, if needed, assisted living, skilled long term care and special care for those who develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It is centrally located in Nu‘uanu, mauka of the Craigside Condominium complex. Residents will enjoy quiet beauty, plus unparalleled access to all of Honolulu's social, cultural, educational and entertainment facilities.

15 Craigside’s Core Values

15 Craigside believes that in all we do in life and at 15 Craigside we should:
be humble, be understanding, be gentle, be just, be merciful, be honest, be peaceful, be faithful.

15 Craigside’s Vision

15 Craigside is guided by a vision that calls it to provide optimum effort in support of its residents, and to provide benefits and service to seniors in the greater community.

15 Craigside’s Mission

15 Craigside provides senior living excellence in a gracious, compassionate and dynamic environment with a superior continuum of assured lifetime care to meet the spiritual, physical and social needs of every resident.

A Rich History

Most Arcadia residents know that “Arcadia” was the name given to the home of Governor and Mrs. Mary Emma Dillingham Frear at 1434 Punahou Street in or about 1909. Mrs. Frear bequeathed the property to Punahou School in 1951 and Punahou used the house for kindergarten classes until the land became the site of Arcadia Retirement Residence, which was sponsored by Central Union Church, in 1967.

The property at 15 Craigside Place has an equally prominent place in Hawaii history. In 1885, “Craigside” was the home of Theo. H. Davies, the founder of a former “Big Five” business. In 1927, the property at the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and Craigside Place became the campus of Iolani School. Iolani School eventually outgrew the site and moved to its present Ala Wai campus in 1957.

The Craigside property was acquired by The Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ from Iolani to be used as its headquarters. Subsequently, a portion of the parcel was used to develop the Craigside Condominium complex. 15 Craigside Place served as the Conference headquarters until early 2006.

In 2004, after deciding to move its headquarters to 1848 Nuuanu Avenue (the former location of the Casey Family Foundation in Hawaii) the Hawaii Conference began a process of determining what to do with its property at 15 Craigside Place.

In May 2006, The Hawaii Conference Foundation of the United Church of Christ entered an agreement in which a new non-profit corporation, Craigside Retirement Residence, whose sole member is The Arcadia Foundation, would develop, construct, own and operate a continuing care retirement community for moderate income seniors on The Hawaii Conference Foundation’s 1.5 acre property at Craigside Place in Nuuanu.

The agreement was reached at a time when the Internal Revenue Service and state Attorney General are increasingly interested in learning what “social” or “community” benefits each tax exempt/Section 501(c)(3) organization is providing. The Coalition for Non-profit Health Care has said “We recommend that all non-profit health care organizations renew their commitment to providing and documenting the unique community benefit that sets them apart and underlies their tax exemption.”

At Arcadia, the benefit of its tax exempt status applies not only to the payment of income taxes but more importantly, it applies to the payment of the 4% Hawaii general excise tax on all revenues (gross receipts) of Arcadia. Based on Arcadia’s monthly service and health care budgeted fees for 2006, payment (by residents) of the general excise tax on these revenues would exceed $500,000 a year.*

It is interesting that two sites of former residences (Arcadia and Craigside) of persons (Frear and Davies) who had a significant impact on our community were used by prominent Christian private schools (Punahou and Iolani) and have (and will) become locations of senior living facilities under the guidance of Arcadia and its sponsor, Central Union Church, a member of The United Church of Christ, and The Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ.

*15 Craigside is applying for the same type of tax exempt status with the same type of attendant community benefit responsibilities.