Changes in Waikiki

Well we had a chance to walk thru Waikiki the other night, just to find so many changes.

At the beginning of the year they were planning to redo the International Market Place. Well they ran out of money and now it's staying the way it is. Other locations seem to have planned on the fact that the Market Place was going to be closed and have started to build their own market places. I can't remember the name of the building right now but it is the building that the GUESS store is in. There, on the third floor, colorful, totally airconditioned, elevator music and very shopper friendly - with benches and photo opportunities - they've created a new market place. Right now the level is empty (empty booths), but we spoke to the security gaurd and he said it is to open in a month or two. Although the International Market Place has it's own charm - this place will have a lot going for it too.

About 2 years ago the Waikiki Cinema 1 & 2 on Seaside closed down. They gutted the building, boarded it up and it has been an eye sore ever since. Well a bit has been done to hide that up to. Along the entire front of the building there are now sales carts with jewelry and local gifts and goods. Makes it a bit more friendly and busy.

A while back they also closed the Waikiki Imax theater. Well how it hosts a fantastic show - a full time, year round circus on tap .

The article goes on to say: "Robertson Properties is Consolidated's real-estate development sister company, replacing the Waikiki III theater on Kalakaua Avenue with a two-story retail complex housing Foot Locker, California Pizza Kitchen, Whaler's Market, a steak-and-seafood restaurant and about 80 kiosks. "

Then we cross the street to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Mall. Also 2 years ago the Cheese Cake Factory opened its doors and was this year ranked as the most frequented of all Cheese Cake Factories.

If you have been here before, you might remember the water fall with the statue of the man spear fishing. The same area where they did the hula show and the musical entertainment....Weeeellllllll that entire area, all three floors of it has been torn down. The say it is for easier access to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. I guess we'll see if it lives up to that when they are done. There are also two other spots where the mall is being totally renovated.

Over on Lewers they have finished tearing down 3 or 4 hotels and the dust has settled...but since they are going to build new hotels, I'd say they are far from done.

For right now that is about all I can think of...if anybody else has something to say, add or correct - please do so!!

I couldn't believe all the construction going on there. Also behind Planet Hollywood they tore down a couple hotels (not sure if it was the Lewers St ones you were talking about) but all the outriggers there are gone and new ones going up and another under renovation. Saw in the paper they have rooms for sale, fee simple and not lease hold which surprised me. Also I believe the Ilikai is also under renovation. Big changes in Waikiki but I know allot of the Japanese tourists were grumbling about the age of the hotels in Waikiki so that might have spurred it. Personally I think it will improve the area. I suppose one of these days I should get back down there and walk around abit. The Royal Hawaiian shopping center really surprised me.
After Christmas I might go down there and see everything and stop in at South Seas.

okamiotoko2004:

not sure if it was the Lewers St ones you were talking about

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yup, that whole block behind Planet Hollywood/Starbucks is gone......

... but I know allot of the Japanese tourists were grumbling about the age of the hotels in Waikiki so that might have spurred it. Personally I think it will improve the area.

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Yup, considering the # of Japanese tourists that we have going through they had to listen..

I avoid going into Waikiki at all if I can help it. I was just there - well, driving through on the way to the Halekulani, where we had our firm Christmas party. Tons of construction, and everything looks so different.

Ala Moana is another place I only get to a few times a year. Everytime I go there are new stores and stores that have relocated to somewhere else in the mall. I'm always asking "when did that store get here" - and I'm usually told "months ago".

talking about Ala Moana...on the back side they just tore down a couple of buildings (all the way to Kapiolani), including the Kapiolani Bakery... they are putting up some new stores for the mall, including a Nordstroms....

And a new condo high rise at Ala Moana, thanks to the shoot up in real estate prices.

yeah...some day this rock is gonna sink because there are too many people on it

Just so it's not before summer of 2007!!!!

hey lady! good to see you post

not sure what you are referring to? But the bad news is LOTS of construction near your Hotel/Condo I hope you are either high up or on the other side of the building this time...Getting closer and closer! Can't wait to have you here again!!

Hugs,
Lisa

chepar:

Ala Moana is another place I only get to a few times a year. Everytime I go there are new stores and stores that have relocated to somewhere else in the mall. I'm always asking "when did that store get here" - and I'm usually told "months ago".

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For 25 years, Ala Moana shopping center has had the top gross per square foot of any retail venue in the US. The owners have a gold mine there, and they know it. Since the rents are based primarily on a percentage-of-sales, it's move merchandise or get moved. The top store per square foot has traditionally been the Louis Vuitton store - I knew someone who worked there years ago and she said that the average sales per associate ranged between $4,500 and $16,000 per DAY. They were all hourly employees starting at ---> $8.00/hour. This was the early '90's too. The payoff was the Christmas bonus where they got two months of salary. I learned about the Japanese system of Christmas bonuses when I worked for a Japanese dive company and had a small mountain of cash given to me out of the blue on Christmas.
Oahu generates some hellacious retail volumes. The Navy Exchange at Johnson Circle was always in the top three of all military exchange sales. When KMart came to Hawaii, the first day they opened there in Iwilei near the morgue and the Salvation Army, 10,000 people who showed up in Iwilei - the roads in that whole area wound up in gridlock that drove HPD and anyone in a car near there nuts.