Ka Makana Ali'i, Kapolei, HI

 An extant asset

In 1979 when we first moved to Hawai’i, the leeward side of O’ahu was a much different place than it is now.  Between our exit from interstate H1 in Waipahu and our home in ‘Ewa Beach, there was only the two-lane Fort Weaver Road.  The drive was long and tedious (or so it seemed to my five-year-old brain) while we were surrounded by nothing more than acre after acre of sugar cane.

Center court and the main concourse of Ka Makana Ali'i.

As far as shopping options went, in our small town there was really only the ‘Ewa Beach Shopping Center and its Woolworth anchors.  There was a general merchandise as well as a dedicated clothing location- the only time I had ever seen one.  But for anything more substantial, a trip halfway across the island to Pearlridge Center in Aiea was in order.

Ka Makana Ali'i Mallmanac ca. 2017. View the full PDF version here.

Of course, a lot has changed since then.  It wasn’t long before Fort Weaver was upgraded to a four-lane highway and not long after all of the sugar cane was removed and supplanted by sprawling subdivisions and strip malls.  For the longest time, however, the island’s leeward side still lacked a large shopping anchor.  That changed when Ka Makana Ali’i was built in the fast-growing suburb of Kapolei.

Inside Ka Makana Ali'i.

Ka Makana Ali’i, translated to The Royal Gift, was built on some of this land that was once home to the fields of sugar cane.  In fact, old railroad tracks that used to haul the precious bounty still lie just to the south of the shopping facility, with the Hawaiian Railway Society still offering occasional rides on restored locomotives.

1- Macy's.  2- The front exterior of the mall.  3- H&M.  4- the northeastern entrance.

West O’ahu’s first shopping mall opened in 2016 as an open-air shopping mall on Kapolei Parkway.  Anchored by Macy’s, a Consolidated Theater and a Hampton Inn and Suites, this was the first phase of what is planned to be a 1.5 million square foot mixed use facility.  In addition to the anchors, other major names include H&M and Old Navy. 

Ka Makana Ali'i Mallmanac ca. 2018. View the full PDF version here.

Located just to the south of the southern terminus of the island’s Skyline Light Rail, the retail complex is well connected to the rest of O’ahu’s urban areas.  Well, at least to Aloha Stadium.  That is, until the rest is built, but going by island time, who knows when that will ever happen.  Plans say 2031 for it to be complete, but the portion that just opened this year was supposed to debut nearly a decade ago.

The story of Ka Makana Ali'i.

Being the only significant retail property on the west side of the island, Ka Makana Ali’i attracts large crowds and serves as a community center for the locals living in the Leeward suburbs.  Though it is worth a visit and I do appreciate that it was built, I’ll always prefer Aiea’s Mall of my Youth, good ole Pearlridge.

Ka Makana Ali'i official website

Kukui Grove, Lihue, HI

 A extant asset

The island of Kauai has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  Maybe one day I’ll get to see that side of it.  But for my most recent (and only) visit to the Garden Isle, I was there just to see the town of Lihue and the island’s only major shopping center, Kukui Grove, before getting back to the bright lights of Honolulu.

Kukui Grove makes its home just to the southwest of Lihue’s city center, occupying a prime spot on one of the island’s most traversed intersections.  At 312,000 square feet, the open-air shopping mall is by far Kauai’s largest.  Macy’s serves as the only traditional anchor though it was recently joined by a full-size Target store.

Around the open air Kukui Grove.

Other major stores included in the lineup are a Times Supermarket, a Long’s Drugs and a Ross Dress for Less.  Inline stores include Gamestop, Fun Factory, and Famous Footwear.  Compact and built mainly as a straight main concourse with an anchor at each end, there’s nothing flashy or even notable about the design, but it still seems to be a popular destination for locals.

Kukui Grove Mallmanac ca. 2021. View the full PDF version here.

Kukui Grove opened in 1982 with 55 stores on a single level.  The mall was anchored by Liberty House, JCPenney, Sears and a large Woolworth outlet.  At some point within its early history, though I can’t confirm exactly when, a Kmart was added at the southeastern end.  The complex sustained significant damage from 1992’s hurricane ‘Iniki before losing JCPenney and Woolworth in the following years.

Macy's, Kukui Groves only traditional anchor.

A major renovation was commenced in 2001 that was supposed to reconfigure the shopping destination completely, with plans to de-mall Kukui Grove.  Though many upgrades were made, the reconfiguration was never completed, leaving the retail facility with nearly the same footprint as its opening day.

The sun shines on Kukui Grove.

Sometime after its departure, Sears took over the Woolworth space to have twin locations within Kukui Grove.  Unfortunately, these two locations were some of the first to shut down in Hawai’i, having closed permanently in 2013.  One location was replaced by a Sports Authority, which has since closed, and the other by a Ross Dress for Less.

Kukui Grove Mallmanac ca. 2023. View the full PDF version here.

In the early 2000s, the Honolulu based Liberty House was taken over and rebranded as Macy’s.  Soon after, JCPenney made the decision to vacate all of their locations within the entire island chain.  Their rather small location was taken over by Macy’s and was rebranded as Macy’s II, which is still open as of this writing.

More scenes around Kukui Grove, including the food court.

The most significant changes have just recently occurred.  The Kmart building, closed in 2018, was demolished and replaced with the island’s first and only Target store.  Other retailers rumored to be in the works are popular Asian supermarket H-Mart, fast casual clothing store H&M and Hawai’i based supermarket Foodland.  Hopefully these and more will move in and ensure that Kukui Grove has a sustainable future.

Kukui Grove official website

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Honolulu, HI

 An extant asset

I still remember quite clearly the jingle on TV for Royal Hawaiian Center whenever one of their commercials would interrupt my viewings of Battle Fever J in early 1980s Hawai’i.  I do remember visiting the place once or twice on our rare visits to Waikiki, but besides scant random memories, I truthfully don’t remember much more about it from those early days besides the jingle.

1- The main entrance on Kalakaua.  2- One of the dark wooden walkways.  3 & 4- Views from the third floor.  5 & 6- Around building B's central court.

It wasn’t until 2019 when I finally got the chance to walk its corridors.  Open-air, three levels and built without any full-line anchors, Royal Hawaiian was where I was meeting a childhood friend for dinner.  While waiting, I had time to explore.  Though the breeze was nice, the dark tile and exposed concrete showed that the facility had never received a full renovation.  I quite enjoyed its 80s shopping mall realness.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center mallmanac ca 2011.  See the full PDF version here.

Royal Hawaiian center opened in 1980 as part of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel campus.  Located just to the east of the famed coral-shaded Royal Hawaiian Hotel, it was built as three separate buildings connected by skywalks on the upper levels.  Unlike its close by neighbor International Marketplace, Royal Hawaiian has seen few changes to its footprint over the years.

1- The top of Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.  2- The Royal Hawaiian Hotel complex.  3- Looking down from one of the top levels.  4- The stage area.  5- The front facing Kalakaua.  6- The lush greenery within Royal Hawaiian.

Self-described as the gathering place of Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian hosts 100 shops and restaurants with an exceedingly good food court on the middle tier.  The Apple Store, Ferragamo, Hermes and Tiffany and Co. can be found within its halls with the Rock-A-Hula Theater offering its entertainment options.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center mallmanac ca 2019.  See the full PDF version here.

Just a few years ago, Royal Hawaiian boasted the fifth highest sales earnings per square foot in the entire United States.  All things considered. It looks like this destination will stay around for a while.  I just hope the dark tile and eighties vibe stays along with it.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center official website