A Big Piece of the Big Island, Maui Being Put On the Market

C. Brewer & Co. said Friday it has put all its land holdings--more than 70,000 acres on the Big Island and Maui--on the market as another of Hawaii’s original Big Five sugar and pineapple plantation powers moves toward liquidation.

J. Alan Kugle, Brewer’s real estate chief executive, said the company hopes that a Hawaii company or organization will purchase the properties as a package. But he said Brewer also could sell individual parcels to small farm lessees and is giving first option to some leaseholders.

The lands are among the most valuable and beautiful in Hawaii, and are being put on the market for the first time in 140 years, he said.

The lands being offered include about 30,000 acres in the Big Island’s Kau district, about 20,000 acres along the Big Island’s Hamakua Coast and about 20,000 acres through Maui’s Central Valley.

The Maui lands stretch from the south shore at Maalaea to the north shore beyond Waihee, and include Iao Valley.