$23 Million Facelift For WW Mall
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Del.icio.usWindward Mall has announced plans for a $23 million renovation and revitalization project, as well as the addition of six new retailers - Journeys, Lids, Sanrio, D.e.m.o., Surf City Squeeze and a full-size Borders with a Starbucks cafe inside.
The extensive renovation is the first in the mall’s 24-year history, and is expected to take 12 months to complete. The new stores are scheduled to open at the end of this year or early next year.
“We’re very excited,” says Jonathan Kim, general manager of Windward Mall. “The mall will be 25 years old next year, and it has never undergone a renovation. If you come to Windward Mall, it’s a clean mall and well-maintained except that the look is from the 1970s. If you walk into any other mall, you’ve got carpet, some wood floors, some tile, but we have all tile. So you kind of want to soften it up a little.”
Physical improvement plans to the mall include a change of flooring materials on the upper and lower levels, an addition of a second escalator in the theater wing, new soft seating areas, etched-glass-look guardrails, enhanced landscaping, and improved lighting, signage and graphics. Flooring changes include carpeting for the upper level with bamboo wood for the bridges that connect both sides of the mall, and tile in a lighter, more contemporary color for the lower level. The main entrance (which is upstairs by Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union) also will be updated with an awning, and the restrooms will be updated and refurbished.
“This renovation shows that there’s a commitment on the part of the landlord to this mall,” adds Kim.“The tenants are enthusiastic. In addition to a modern-looking mall, there also will be some soft seating areas for people to sit down and relax, and a soft play area for children to play on. And new stores, so hopefully people don’t have to travel to the other side of the Koolaus.”
The new Borders and Starbucks cafe will use 22,000 square feet of the 40,000-plus-square-foot empty space located downstairs of Regal Cinemas, which was vacated by JCPenney. In addition to Borders, mall officials also plan to carve out four new retail spaces in that area for future tenants.
Construction is set to begin early September, with work being done overnight when the mall is closed so that all stores can remain open for business.
A new tenant, Farrell’s, the old-fashioned ice cream parlor, is expected to be open within weeks. Plans for an IHOP have been delayed, but mall officials say they are still working on it.
Windward Mall is owned by Kamehameha Schools, and managed by General Growth Properties.
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