Lately, Hawaii has been in a constant state of change. This is especially true for the island of Oahu. If you haven’t been to Honolulu for a few years, for example, you may no longer recognize the Kaka’ako district thanks to its constant evolution. This was true for a friend of mine originally from Oahu when he came home to visit last year. And now, more change is on the way with Ward Warehouse next on the chopping block.
Ward Warehouse
For those that don’t know, Ward Warehouse is kind of a landmark shopping center in Honolulu. It’s location on the corner of Ward Ave. & Ala Moana Blvd. places it at a very important and prominent location. And as it’s name implies, the center is supposed to resemble a warehouse.
According to the Pacific Business News, Ward Warehouse was built as a temporary structure. Built in 1975, it was built to last 15 years, and then be easily dismantled. Well, it’s been 42 years now since the shopping center opened, and structurally integrity is beginning to become an issue. But instead of refurbishing the shopping center, it’ll be closed and torn down this coming August.
In it’s place, the property’s owner, Howard Hughes, will build its Gateway Towers project.
With unit prices starting at around $1 million, the Gateway Towers will be the premier residential towers in the 60 acre Ward Villages project. A construction start date has yet to be determined, as sales have slowed on the two towers, however, the rest of the project are all over 90% sold. Those buildings include Waiea (with the most expensive apartment in Hawaii), Anaha, Ae’o, and Ke Kilohana (workforce housing).
Liliha Bakery
In other news, Honolulu’s iconic Liliha Bakery will be closing indefinitely for an extensive renovation. The venerable, old bakery is located in the Honolulu neighborhood of Liliha, for which it’s named. Open since the 1950’s, the 24 hour diner/bakery is famous for it’s poi mochi donuts and coco puffs. For those that don’t know, coco puffs are cream puff shells filled with chocolate pudding, and topped with chantilly cream.
Though you won’t be able to visit the original location for who knows how long, Liliha Bakery does have a newer, larger location just off of Nimitz Highway. The newer location makes for a convenient stop to/from the airport and Waikiki. And since the bakery sells its coco puffs frozen, they’re easy to take back home with you if you please!