Shimogawa Scoops

The Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki, which is currently undergoing a more than $100 million redevelopment, has been sold for $515 million, according to a new report. CBRE Hawaii's investment report that was released this month made note of the sale of the 839-room Pacific Beach Hotel, which will be renamed the Alohilani Resort at Waikiki Beach. CBRE said that the hotel changed hands earlier this quarter. The hotel's redevelopment has recently hit a snag after officials found iwi, or ancient Hawaiian remains, at its site on Kalakaua Avenue, although work continues to move ahead. The new hotel is expected to gain two restaurants by famous chef Masaharu Morimoto. The Queen Liliuokalani Trust owns the land that the more than 100,000-square-feet of land the hotel occupies. HH Pacific Beach LP is listed as the owner of the hotel. Despite fewer transactions this year, CBRE says that 2017 is poised to be another active year for investment in the state. Currently, the year-to-...

A Japanese company is opening a new restaurant near Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. Day Dream International Inc. has recently registered the trade name "Ke Aloha Cafe" with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The company also posted a Craigslist advertisement Wednesday looking for workers for its new cafe. The ad says the cafe is scheduled to open on August 9 at the new 808 Center on Sheridan Street that's near Walmart and Sam's Club stores. Ke Aloha Cafe is scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also plans to sell alcoholic beverages, according to the ad.

An office/warehouse building in Kakaako that was built decades ago is being demolished to create open space in the growing Honolulu neighborhood. The project is a rare sight since buildings demolished in the area mainly have been replaced by brand new, shiny mixed-use towers. Located at 620 Coral St. near Lex Brodie's Tire Shop, the 7,297-square-foot building on 13,533-square-feet of land is owned by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. On Wednesday, the HHFDC filed a $664,000 building permit to demolish the building. Honolulu-based Belt Collins Ltd. is listed as a contractor for the project, which will add open space to the area as part of a requirement from the development of the nearby Pohulani elderly rental project. The project is located across the street from Mother Waldron Park and near Stanford Carr Development's Halekauwila Place rental project.

A long-planned golf course home development along the Kapolei Golf Club in West Oahu is finally moving forward. Gentry Homes' 66-unit Kealii project has been the works for at least a couple of years. It is located on 17 acres of land along Kapolei Parkway between the course and the Kanehili subdivision.  This week, Gentry's subsidiary Gentry KGC LLC filed stormwater permits for the project, which signals the project is moving ahead. Gentry, one of the largest home builders in Hawaii, bought the land from a subsidiary of Pacific Links Hawaii for $7.5 million, public records show. The developer has built several projects in West Oahu, as well as elsewhere in the state.

The New York company that purchased Chevron Corp.'s Hawaii operation last year is already looking to sell 12 gas station and convenience store properties that span from Waipahu to Honolulu on Oahu with an asking price of $49.5 million. A CBRE Hawaii sales listing says that One Rock Capital Partners' subsidiary IES Retail LLC intends to sell these properties that total nearly 5.7 acres and then strike a lease deal with the new owner of these properties. The sale leaseback involves 20 years with three five-year options to renew. The gas stations are being operated under the Texaco brand, and are located in Waipahu, Pearl City, Honolulu and Kailua. CBRE Hawaii says that the net operating income for these stations is about $2.8 million. Late last year, One Rock Capital purchased Chevron Hawaii's assets including the refinery in Kapolei, four production distribution terminals on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island and nearly 60 retail gas stations. The total purchase p...

George Zimmer, the famous face and founder of Men's Warehouse, has sold another one of his Big Island of Hawaii properties to a former California wine company executive. Zimmer recently sold his Kamuela property that's on Wailea Beach on the West Shore of the island to Jackrabbit LLC, a company headed by Gregory and Vicki McManus, who once owned Napa Valley Wine Train. The sales price was about $3.5 million, public records show. Zimmer has long owned multiple properties on the Big Island, and made a big splash in late 2015 when he purchased singer Neil Young's estate on the island. After leaving Men's Warehouse several years ago, Zimmer went on to start Generation Tux, which rents suits and tuxedos online.

A teenager who attends Punahou School has recently started his own social media management agency. Scott Nakaoka, a 17-year-old senior from the prominent Honolulu school that includes former President Barack Obama as one of its former graduates, has formed Kakou Communications LLC. He told this blog that his company's goal is to help older mom-and-pop companies to modernize their business to keep up-to-date in today's society. "We want to move their paper advertising to online and help build or refresh their websites," Nakaoka said. "My generation is all about social media. We are constantly on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., and growing up with social media helped me gain knowledge about what, when and how to post." He said it also taught him what types of posts or web designs grab people's attention and what has potential to be shared, liked and reposted. Kakou, a Hawaiian word, translates into English as "everyone" or ...

A former owner of Pipeline Cafe is opening a new gastropub at Ala Moana Center's new restaurant complex that's located in part of the former Shirokiya space. Charles Jewitt's Agave & Vine LLC filed a $70,000 building permit with Honolulu regulators Wednesday for his new bar and lounge that is expected to open at The Lanai at Ala Moana in Honolulu. Karen Sakamoto of Honolulu-based Next Design LLC is listed as the architect for the project. In 2013, Jewitt registered the trade name Agave & Vine with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The Lanai, which also will include such tenants as Brug Bakery and Hi Tea Cafe, is scheduled to open this fall. The food court is expected to have up to 12 specialty food vendors and indoor and outdoor seating for up to 450 people. Jewitt also co-owned Apartment3 and was part of the group that opened The Republik along Kapiolani Boulevard in 2011.

Lady M, a popular pastry restaurant that has locations across the country, is opening its first Hawaii boutique in Waikiki, public records show. The company, which is headed by Hawaii native Ken Romaniszyn whose family owns the Wasabi Bistro restaurant group, filed a $45,000 building permit with Honolulu regulators Tuesday for a new store at the Waikiki Beach Walk mixed-use complex. Earlier this year, Romaniszyn registered a new business in Hawaii called "Lady M Hawaii LLC." Honolulu-based Roy K. Yamamoto Architect AIA Inc. is listed as the architect for the company's first Hawaii store. Lady M sells cakes and pastries, as well as savory items including salads and a variety of sandwiches. Waikiki Beach Walk, which is near the Trump Waikiki hotel and the Halekulani hotel, includes such tenants as Candy Bar Hawaii, Yard House, Giovanni Pastrami and Roy's Waikiki.

Diptyque Paris, the Paris-based luxury perfume and scented candles retailer, is expanding to Hawaii with a new store at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. On Tuesday, the company filed a $90,000 building permit witht the Honolulu building department for its new store at the state's largest shopping mall. Honolulu architect Ann Kutaka is listed as the architect for the project. Diptyque's products are currently sold in such Hawaii stores as the Ala Moana Center Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores. Besides having several boutiques in Paris, the retailers also has stores in such major cities as London, Tokyo, Dubai, New York City, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas and Chicago. The company was founded in 1961 by three friends with different career paths, including a painter, set designer and an architecture firm worker.

One of billionaire Larry Ellison's Four Seasons-branded hotels on the Hawaiian island of Lanai that has been closed since 2015 will undergo a $75 million renovation, which will include reducing the room count by about 10 rooms, adding spa treatment facilities, building new fitness buildings and a yoga pavilion and creating a waterway feature, as well as a natural free-form pool and jacuzzi, public documents show. The 102-room The Lodge at Koele, which was purchased by the Oracle Corp. co-founder in 2012 as part of his overall $300 million purchase of 98 percent of Lanai, will also undergo other upgrades such as the addition of a conservatory dining pavilion that will extend from the existing dining area, the conversion of six guestrooms into meeting rooms and four guestrooms into two large suites. Details of this major renovation at The Lodge at Koele was recently revealed in public documents filed with the County of Maui by Ellison's company Pulama Lanai. Local firm Munek...

A new Las Vegas-based luxury eyewear company that has ties to a former Oakley executive is expanding to Hawaii with a shop opening in Waikiki. Vitra Eyewear, which opened its first boutique in 2015 in California, filed a building permit Friday with Honolulu regulators for its new shop at the Royal Hawaiian Center on Kalakaua Avenue. Honolulu architect Matthew Goyke, who is part of Green Sand Inc., is listed as the architect for the project. The new store is expected to open in Building "B" of the center, joining other tenants in that building such as Anteprima Wirebag, Crazy Shirts, Fighting Eel, kate spade new york and LeSportsac. Vitra, which is Latin for "glasses" or "vision," carries such luxury brands as Fendi, Lindberg and Dior with some eyewear holding a hefty price tag in the tens of thousands of dollars range. The company, which is headquartered in Las Vegas and was started by executives with many years of experience in the eyewear industry...

A new poke restaurant is opening in Waikiki, giving visitors a taste of one of Hawaii's most popular foods. The "Poke Bar" is opening at Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewers Street. MyMulgogi Inc., which heads this new establishment, filed a $160,000 building permit with city regulators for its new eatery. Honolulu architect Casey Kusumoto is listed as the architect for the project. Waikiki Beach Walk, which is adjacent to the Trump International Hotel at Waikiki Beach Walk, Halekulani hotel, Waikiki Parc and Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort, includes such tenants as Beach Walk Cafe, Candy Bar Hawaii, Cafe Glacé, Honolulu Cookie Co., Subway, Cheeseburger Beach Walk, Giovanni Pastrami, Roy's Waikiki, Yard House and Ruth's Chris Steak House. Managed by Outrigger Enterprises Group, Beach Walk includes about 45 shops and restaurants.

Yakiniku Don-Day, a popular Korean restaurant in Honolulu that lets you to grill your own food, is up for sale, according to a sales listing. Located at the Keeaumoku International Village on Keeaumoku Street, Yakiniku Don-Day, which was registered to do business in Hawaii in 2011, is on the market with an asking price of $250,000. List Sotheby's International Realty is the firm listing this 952-square-foot restaurant for sale, which includes all equipment and furniture, as well as the transfer of the existing liquor license. Another popular restaurant — Bread + Butter — also is on the market. This restaurant is located next to Shokudo Japanese Restaurant, which shares the same owner.

Kai Coffee Hawaii is opening its third cafe on Oahu and second one in Waikiki, the company's owner has confirmed. Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Sam and Natalie Suiter, who have more than 25 years of experience in this industry, Kai Coffee currently has two locations including one at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and in Downtown Honolulu near the corner of King and Alakea streets. It is opening its third cafe at the Pacific Beach Hotel, which is being transformed into the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. The $115 million renovation will also include two new restaurants by celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto, as well as upgraded rooms and suites.

A new ice cream shop is opening in Honolulu, just in time for the hot summer months ahead. Arctic Cream, headed by JK Foods LLC, has filed a building permit to open its new shop at the Kingsgate Plaza on North King Street in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kalihi. Other tenants at the plaza include Jollibee, Jiffy Lube and Kings Dental Implants. JK Foods, which is managed by William Yu, registered the Arctic Cream trade name in March. Honolulu architect Roy K. Yamamoto is listed as the architect for this project. Some of its clients/projects include Crazy Shirts, Kincha Restaurant, Kyo-ya Restaurant, Grand Hyatt Wailea, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Westin Maui and Hyatt Regency Waikoloa.

One of the largest exporters of Hawaii bottled water to Japan is building a new facility near Downtown Honolulu in the former space of Bella Pietra Design, according to public documents. On Tuesday, Toell USA filed several building permits with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting totaling more than $5 million for its new warehouse at 701 North Nimitz Highway. Toell USA, which exports Hawaii bottled water to Japan, uses reverse osmosis technology to purify its spring water, which is also marketed and sold to Southeast Asian countries. The company also has a facility on Moanalua Road in Aiea in Central Oahu. A few years ago, Bella Pietra, a natural stone company, moved its Nimitz Highway showroom and warehouse across the street to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs-owned Na Lama Kukui, formerly known as the Gentry Pacific Design Center.

A former pastry chef for the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa may be opening a dessert shop at the Safeway-anchored Hokulei Village shopping center in Lihue on the island of Kauai. Orly Yadao, who has recently formed a new business called "Orly Patisserie LLC," has filed a building permit to open a new shop at Hokulei Village, joining such tenants as Petco, Verde restaurant, Domino's pizza, Super Cuts, Sleep Train, Subway, Jack in the Box, Uncle's Shave Ice and Punzal Vision. Honolulu-based Commercial Consultant Inc. handles leasing for Hokulei Village, which is located near Kukui Grove Center, on behalf of landlord California-based TRC, formerly Terramar Retail Centers. Yadao, who was born in the Philippines, worked at such notable resorts in Las Vegas as the Paris hotel and the Bellagio. His LinkedIn profile shows that he worked as executive executive pastry chef for the Grand Hyatt on Kauai for about 11 years. Y...

Honolulu regulators have cited The Howard Hughes Corp. for changing the use of its former Sports Authority store space on Ward Avenue in Kakaako without a building permit, according to public documents. On Friday, the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting issued a notice of violation to the Texas-based developer for this building code violation. The former Sports Authority store, which closed as part of the sporting goods retailer's bankruptcy proceedings, is now being used by a dance theater production company. Before that, it was being used as a space for arts and crafts. The city said that the developer started work on that space at 333 Ward Ave. without first getting a building permit, and that occupancy of the building was changed from "mercantile" to "assembly" without first getting a certificate of occupancy. A building permit is required for the renovation and change in use of the building. Hughes Hughes has until...

GoPro's founder and CEO Nick Woodman, who purchased oceanfront properties near Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore in 2014, has since made some moves on his property, according to public documents. Late last year, Woodman, who has a net worth of nearly $950 million, was given the approval from city regulators to build a fence and gate at the front of his property on Ke Nui Road in Haleiwa. Woodman's company paid $8.5 million for that 31,285-square-foot property, and a 5,000-square-foot adjacent property for nearly $1 million, according to property tax records. In 2015, Woodman was given the approval from the city to demolish the home, which was built in 1947, on that 5,000-square-foot property. It's not quite clear yet what Woodman plans to do with his Haleiwa properties, although at least one home could be in the works. The 41-year-old surfer from California founded the action camera manufacturing company in 2002, which has more than 1,000 employees. In 2015, th...

The owners of Tokoname Sushi Bar & Restaurant have closed its Manoa restaurant in East Oahu and converted it into a sports bar called "Around the Corner Bar & Grill." Located in the Safeway-anchored Manoa Marketplace, the new sports bar recently opened and has or will eventually have televisions, dart boards and a pool table. Brian and Jeff Howdeshell, who are brothers, own Restaurant One Inc., which is the parent company of Tokoname and Around the Corner, public records show. Tokoname opened at the Manoa Marketplace in 2012 after having a Kailua in Windward Oahu location on Uluniu Street for many years. It also has a restaurant in Kaimuki along Waialae Avenue. Hanaki Restaurant was formerly located in Around the Corner's new space for more than two decades. Alexander & Baldwin Inc. recently purchased the Manoa Marketplace.

The new restaurant complex opening in part of the old Shirokiya location at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is scheduled to open this fall. Brug Bakery is one of the eateries opening at The Lanai at Ala Moana Center, relocating from another part of the mall. Store officials said it is scheduled to reopen in its new digs at mall level of the old Shirokiya store on September 15. Others opening at The Lanai include Hi Tea Cafe. The food court is expected to have up to 12 specialty food vendors and indoor and outdoor seating for up to 450 people.

Hakubundo Bookstore is expanding to Central Oahu with a new store opening at Pearlridge shopping center in Aiea. On Thursday, the Japan Publications Trading Co. Ltd.-owned company filed a $144,000 building permit with city regulators for its new store at Pearlridge Uptown. Omizu Architecture Inc. is listed as the architect for the project, according to the permit. Hakubundo said on its website that it will be opening a new store at Pearlridge this summer following the closure of its Ward Warehouse location at the end of July. The Honolulu retail and restaurant complex will eventually close and be demolished to make way for a luxury high-rise mixed-use project by landowner The Howard Hughes Corp. Hakubundo expanded to Hawaii in 1910, carrying Japanese imports such as ceramic plates, traditional Ichimatsu dolls, among other items. The store carries books and magazines, Japanese stationery, character goods, anime and Hawaii items.

Hawaii developer Kevin Showe plans to open a new restaurant Waikiki, public documents show. Showe, who heads Honolulu-based National Housing Corp., has recently registered the trade names "Fish Hook Cafe" and "Fish Hook Restaurant" through his Manhattan Boys Venture LLC. The Luana Waikiki Hotel & Suites' former space of Ville De Coco beauty spa and salon is listed as the address for the new Fish Hook Cafe. Showe is listed as the owner of the space along with a few others at the hotel, according to property tax records. A Craigslist job advertisement shows that Fish Hook Cafe, a new restaurant opening at a Waikiki hotel, is looking for employees including prep cooks. The Luana, a boutique hotel managed by Aqua-Aston Hospitality LLC, is located near Fort DeRussy Park on Kalakaua Avenue. In 2015, Showe sold his property nearby that included the former Kyo-ya Restaurant to Japanese investors, who plan to build a condominium-hotel on that property.

A plan to add food trucks to a parcel of land in the middle of Waikiki is moving ahead, according to public documents filed Wednesday. Waikiki Pride LLC, which owns the property at 2460 Kuhio Ave., filed a building permit with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting to place a food truck and 10 picnic tables on new astro turf on that lot. Iosepa Electric and General Contracting is listed as the contractor for the project, which would join another food truck project in the state's tourism mecca. The 4,531-square-foot property is located at the corner of Kuhio Avenue and Kapuni Street and one block from the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel. The property currently has a 1928 redwood plantation home on it and is zoned for commercial activities. The property sticks out like a sore thumb in the midst of high-rise hotel towers including the Hilton Garden Inn.

A United States District Court judge in California has dismissed Volvo Car USA's lawsuit against Volvo Cars Honolulu saying that the suit was improperly filed in the Golden State. The California court said that the manufacturer's complaint had nothing to do with the state of California. Volvo Car USA's lawsuit was filed immediately after the dealership demanded that the manufacturer end its alleged long-standing practice of arbitrarily inflating car sales figures and forcing the dealership to accept inventory well beyond actual sales demand. Envy Hawaii LLC, which is doing business as Volvo Cars Honolulu claims that this practice, known in the automobile industry as "punching," is misleading because it creates the appearance of continued growth and impressive sales. Instead of addressing the demand to correct the punching practice, Volvo Car USA requested some time to respond so the two companies could work on a resolution. Volvo Honolulu said that instead ...

A community garden that would be utilized by the tens of thousands of residents expected to call the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako home by 2030 is in the works at Kakaako Waterfront Park. Kakaako will be home to 30,000 new residents by 2030 and most of these residents will live in high-rise towers, with people needing open spaces to grow food. The Hawaii Community Development Authority is scheduled to talk further about this project at its regular meeting on Wednesday. Some ideas for such a community garden would include a market area, a picnic area and a kids zone. There are several community gardens in Honolulu including the Makiki Community Garden. Community gardens vary in size and type but are mainly supposed to benefit the community by providing recreational spaces and food in urban areas such as Kakaako. These gardens are generally overseen by the city mainly by parks and recreation departments or by public institutions such as schools.

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., the largest construction company in Hawaii, is expected to receive its certificate of occupancy on Wednesday that would officially allow the firm to move into the historic former Honolulu Advertiser building in Kakaako. The Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency regulating developing in Kakaako, in its regular meeting on Wednesday, is scheduled to issue this occupancy certificate to Hawaiian Dredging, which renovated its new headquarters as well as built the two towers on the same parcel of land on Kapiolani Boulevard called the 801 South St. project. The Honolulu-based construction firm, which has built several projects in Kakaako, has been located in Downtown Honolulu for many years. Its new headquarters was once home to "Hawaii Five-0" productions.

Starbucks is opening a new cafe in the former Radio Shack space at the Walgreens-anchored Nuuanu Shopping Plaza in Honolulu. The Seattle-based coffee giant is currently building out its new space at 1613 Nuuanu Ave. that's across from a 7-11 convenience store and gas station. On Tuesday, Starbucks applied for sign permits for this new store, which is located in an area that currently does not have a coffee shop. The new cafe also is located in a heavily-trafficked area at the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and School Street. Starbucks has a little more than 100 cafes in Hawaii with new shops in the works in Waikiki and on Oahu's North Shore where it currently does not have a presence.

G70, one of the largest architecture firms in Hawaii, has officially started the process of building out its new office spaces in Downtown Honolulu, according to public documents filed Tuesday. The Honolulu-based firm has filed two building permits totaling about $1.2 million for the build-out of its new digs at the Bank of Hawaii building at the Financial Plaza of the Pacific. G70, formerly Group 70 International, is expected to move from its current space at the McCandless Building on Bethel Street where it has been for decades towards the end of this year. The architecture firm's move follows the migration of another one of Hawaii's largest firms — AHL, formerly Architects Hawaii Ltd., which moved to the Pacific Guardian Center in Downtown Honolulu, including the penthouse space at the complex's Makai Tower.

Patagonia, which has started construction on its new building in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako on Ward Avenue, could be adding a restaurant to its retail mix at this new location. A store official confirmed that the popular California-based outdoor apparel company is moving from its current space at the corner of Ward Avenue and Auahi Street that's in the same building complex as Wahoo's restaurant, Starbucks and Jamba Juice to its own building further down Ward Avenue near Kapiolani Boulevard. A move won't happen until at least for another year. Construction fences have already gone up and building permits have been filed for the renovation of the longstanding building at 535 Ward Ave. that was once occupied by a few businesses including The Light Bulb Source. A restaurant/cafe could be added to this newer, much bigger store. About five years ago, Patagonia dove into the sustainable food business by adding such items as jerky to its stores. The company, ...

The owner of Shokudo restaurant near Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is selling his fairly new restaurant that's next door for $499,000, according to a sales listing for the restaurant. Hide Sakurai, who also is the man behind the Waikiki restaurant Buho Cocina y Cantina, is selling his Bread + Butter restaurant that opened about two years ago in the former Angelo Pietro space on Kapiolani Boulevard. The 3,135-square-foot restaurant has eight years left on its lease, and the owner has invested more than $1 million in the restaurant that's located in the Ala Moana Pacific Center. List Sotheby's International Realty is the brokerage firm handling the sale of Bread + Butter, which was a cafe in the morning and a wine bar at night. It also served lunch. When it first opened, the restaurant employed about 40 people.

HI Tea Cafe is opening at Ala Moana Center's new food court, according to public documents. On Friday, H2K International LLC, which is headed by Michael Huo, filed a $150,000 building permit for its new space at Ala Moana Center's "The Lanai," that will open in part of the former Shirokiya space at the state's largest shopping mall. HI Tea Cafe will serve Asian-inspired lunch plates, bubble drinks, smoothies and fresh juices. Curtis Miyamura of CKM Architects is listed as the architect for HI Tea's new space at the Honolulu mall. The Lanai at Ala Moana is expected to open later this year with up to 12 specialty food vendors and indoor and outdoor seating for up to 450 people.

Amazon.com, the largest Internet-based retailer in the world, has registered a new company in Hawaii, public records show. The Seattle-based company, which was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, registered "Amazon.com LLC" on last month, according to records from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Michael Miller, Scott Farrington and Sean Patterson, executives from Amazon, are listed as the managers of recently registered Hawaii company. Amazon, which surpassed Walmart in 2015 as the most valuable retailer in the United States, is one of the world's most valuable public companies. The company is also one of the largest employers in the U.S. Amazon recently made headlines in Hawaii as shoppers of Internet retailer in the state recently began paying sales taxes on purchases.

Sears is coming back to Ala Moana Center, public records confirm Thursday. The department store was at one time an anchor store at the state's largest shopping mall until that space in the Ewa wing was purchased and redeveloped by the mall's owner, General Growth Properties Inc. On Thursday, Sears filed an $80,000 building permit with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting for its new appliance store at 1555 Kapiolani Blvd. near the former Nordstrom store.

Nirav Modi, an international diamond jewelry company that is headquartered in India, is expanding to Hawaii with a new boutique opening at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, public documents show. Founded in 2010 by Indian jeweler and billionaire Nirav Modi, the company's jewels have been worn by many celebrities including actress Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts. On Thursday, Nirav Modi filed a $60,000 building permit with Honolulu regulators for its new boutique at the state's largest shopping mall. Nirav Modi currently has stores in India, New York, Hong Kong, London and Macau.

A New York company has purchased nearly 18 acres of vacant agricultural land near Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's hundreds of acres of oceanfront land on the island of Kauai's North Shore, public records show. Last month, WM Capital Partners LLC's Keala Ranch Ventures LLC purchased the land on Kapuna Road in Kilauea for $2.3 million. The property had been on the market with an asking price of $2.45 million. Carol Orr was the seller. WM Capital provides investment advisory services for its clients in the United States, according to Bloomberg. Zuckerberg purchased hundreds of acres of land in the Kilauea area several years ago, and has plans to build a home for he and his family.

A new cafe is opening at the Aloha Tower Marketplace near Downtown Honolulu, according to public documents. On Thursday, Hawaii Pacific University, which owns the marketplace, filed a $75,000 building permit with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting for an "Aloha Tower Marketplace Student Cafe." Linda Miki of Honolulu-based G70, formerly Group 70 International, is listed as the architect for the new cafe, according to the permit. Aloha Tower, which has student dormitories on the second floor, includes such tenants as Nashville, Gordon Biersch, Hooters, Pearl Coffee Hawaii, CrossFit Downtown Honolulu, Barnes & Noble College, Star of Honolulu and Palama Express. The marketplace also is expected to add a student dining facility by Hawaii chef Sam Choy that will be open to the public, as well as Old Spaghetti Factory.

Brookstone, the national specialty retailer of unique and lifestyle products, is opening its second Hawaii store in Waikiki, according to public documents. The New Hampshire-based company already has a store at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. On Thursday, Brookstone filed a $300,000 building permit with the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting for a new store at the Saks Fifth Avenue-anchored International Market Place in Waikiki. It once had a store at Ward Village in Kakaako. Brookstone, which was founded in 1965, sells such items as drones, fitness equipment, pillows, smart home and home automation products and massage equipment. It opened its first retail store in 1973 after offering its products in catalogs. The company currently has more than 200 stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, mainly in shopping malls, lifestyle centers and airports. Brookstone will join other tenants at the International Market Place including Hanna ...