Coming on the heels of the announcement of a major redevelopment project in Kaka'ako, the official opening of the second phase of the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka'ako poses a number of interesting challenges and opportunities.

The redevelopment project envisions a complex of apartments, shops, restaurants and public gathering spaces.

The medical school is an important tenant and the opening of the second research building for the campus cements its role there. A second research building is planned.

The issue is whether the commercial and public use ideas are compatible with the medical school, which is designed to stimulate an explosion of "life sciences" activities in the area.

House Speaker Calvin Say worries that the economic development potential of the medical school and related research facilities would be squeezed out by the other projects. That need not be so. For instance, there are several parcels of land nearby owned by Kamehameha Schools that are being considered as a site for biotech and research.

It is critical that room for such operations be maintained nearby. The key here is that the medical school would stimulate and attract nearby economic activity in life sciences.

Does that mean other uses — and here we would stress public uses on this prized piece of waterfront property — are incompatible? Hardly.

The goal for this area is a place where local residents "live, work and play." The live and play components seem obvious, but won't work unless a strong affordable housing component is enforced. The work component is already emerging with the brand-new medical school. It cannot fulfill that function without room to grow.