Kamehameha schools is planning to build a yet to be named retail center in Kakaako. The pl
an calls for construction of the retail center and is estimated at a cost of $30 million. This project is considered to be the largest project so far out of all the projects that are planned to help redevelop the urban Honolulu area.
The pan alls for a 60,000-square-foot specialty retail center to be built on the block bordered by Coral, Keawe and Auahi streets and Ala Moana Boulevard. The plan also includes a 225-stall parking garage along Keawe Street. Groundbreaking of the project is scheduled for January 2013, and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2014.
“This is a big milestone. It’s our first major retail component and our first full-block project,” said Erin Kinney, a Kamehameha Schools spokeswoman.
“It’s also really built around the pedestrian spaces and courtyard and will have outdoor seating and live music to really take advantage of the atmosphere of the place,” Kinney said. “We’ll have restaurants and stores that will spill over into the common courtyard area where people will be able to sit, eat and gather and just be able to experience and explore.”
The planned shops and restaurants will surround about 10,000 square feet of an open courtyard. There will be space for between 20 and 30 tenants, not including artisan kiosks, with an “eclectic mix of entertainment, restaurants and retail.” Sounds very intriguing. 40 percent of the gross leasable area is slated for retail, 40 percent for restaurants, as well as 10 percent for artisans and 10 percent for offices.
Kamehameha is the states largest private landowner, and this project is part of their master plan to redevelop 29 acres it owns in Kakaako. The nine-block master plan, approved by the Hawaii Community Development Authority in September 2009, envisions a vibrant, artsy urban neighborhood that includes condominiums, town homes and lofts.
I say good, Honolulu needs some upgrades!
Leave a Reply