NAS Kahului was developed on property leased from a commercial sugar company and construction began in 1943. It was deactivated by the Navy in 1947 and the Hawaii Aeronautics Commission took over the land in December 1947 and turned over surplus buildings and land to the Hawai`i commissioner of public lands. The state department of public works, Hawaii Housing Authority, Board of Agriculture and Forestry, and Maui County were given portions of the former naval air station.