Opening Day Nears for Honolulu’s $350M International Market Place

By Adriana Pop, Associate Editor

Joined by several Hawaiian dignitaries, the developers and management team of the International Market Place in Waikiki have recently celebrated a construction milestone.

International Market Place in Honolulu

On October 26, the iconic fire tower, representing the last piece of the project’s steel framework, was crane-lifted into place just off Kalakaua Avenue after being signed by the event’s special guests.

Developed by Michigan-based Taubman and San Francisco-based CoastWood Capital Group LLC, in conjunction with the Queen Emma Land Co., the new open-air International Market Place is scheduled to open on August 25, 2016, with approximately 75 retailers and Hawaii’s first Saks Fifth Avenue. Anthropologie, the high-end women’s fashion retailer owned by Urban Outfitters, is expected to open its second location in the state at the new center. Hawaii’s first Anthropologie store opened at Ala Moana Center in 2014.

The 360,000 square-foot, three-level shopping center broke ground on March 3, 2014 and entails a total investment of about $350 million, according to the Pacific Business News. The project, which is currently 60 percent complete, has created 1,000 construction jobs and is expected to create 2,500 permanent jobs.

“The excitement of this construction milestone was a great reason to bring the community together,” stated Michael Fenley, general manager, International Market Place. “The grand opening is just 10 months away so tourists and kama’aina alike will continue to see the center’s extraordinary profiles take shape along Kalakaua and Kuhio in the months to come.”

The 79-foot fire tower is destined to become a signature Waikiki landmark with its 13 lanterns that will illuminate the center’s entry. It will be a beacon that welcomes guests to the remarkable dining collection on the third level grand lanai (patio).

Image courtesy of Taubman Centers via Flickr