Aloha Tower Marketplace
Aloha Tower Marketplace's main entrance when it was a festival marketplace, c. December 2007. | |
| Location | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21°18.456′N 157°51.908′W / 21.307600°N 157.865133°W |
| Address | 1 Aloha Tower Drive, 96813 |
| Opening date | 1994 |
| Renovated | 2012–2015 |
| Developer | The Enterprise Development Company and the City of Honolulu (Aloha Tower Associates) |
| Management | Hawaii Lifestyle Retail Properties, LLC |
| Owner | Hawaii Pacific University |
| Architect | D'Agostino, Izzo & Quirk (DIQ) |
| Floors | 2 |
| Website | alohatower |
Building details | |
| General information | |
| Type | Festival marketplace (1994–2015) Mixed-use development (2015–present) |
The Aloha Tower Marketplace is an open-air mixed-use complex in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It opened in 1994 as a festival marketplace. Located at the Honolulu Harbor, the Aloha Tower Marketplace includes several national historic landmarks including the Aloha Tower, Falls of Clyde and Hawaiʻi Maritime Center.
History
Pre-construction and development
Governor George Ariyoshi first proposed a revitalization of the Honolulu waterfront to replace industrial harbor activities with a world trade center and public spaces. The Hawaii State Legislature created the Aloha Tower Development Corporation (ATDC). This state agency was tasked with overseeing the redevelopment of a 13-acre site between Piers 8 and 11 to strengthen international trade and beautify the area.
Failed development proposals
Before the 1994 project succeeded, two other developers were selected but ultimately failed to proceed. Southern Pacific Development Co. was hired as the developer in 1983, but withdrew from the project in 1984. Honolulu Waterfront Limited Partnership was selected in 1986, but involvement ended in litigation with the state.[1]
In 1989, the ATDC selected Aloha Tower Associates, a partnership that included James W. Rouse's Enterprise Development Company (EDC), the for-profit subsidiary of Enterprise Foundation,[2], along with local firms, for a massive $544 million project, funded by locals and licensed by the Maryland-based The Rouse Company. Aloha Tower Marketplace would be the last festival marketplace and shopping mall James Rouse would ever be involved with before his death in April 1996. The original plan included two luxury condominium towers, an office tower and a 350-room hotel, a new cruise ship terminal, and 2,000 underground parking stalls.[3]
However, by 1992, the developers faced financial difficulties and requested to build in phases. Defunct warehouses and buildings at Piers 8 and 9 were torn down to make way for the new structures.[1]
The project was redesigned as a "festival marketplace," a concept pioneered by James Rouse. This style utilized green tile roofs, stucco arches, and open-air lanais to create a festive, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, similar to The Rouse Company's Harborplace and Faneuil Hall Marketplace.[4]
However, only the retail marketplace portion was completed. The intended office towers, hotel, and extensive underground parking were never built, a factor many experts believe contributed to the marketplace's future financial struggles.[1]
Aloha Tower Marketplace was completed in 1994 as part of a Honolulu Harbor commercial revitalization project.
After opening
Aloha Tower Marketplace was acquired by Aloha Tower LP, a subsidiary of Trinity Investment Trust LLC, in 1998.[5]
In 2002, Aloha Tower LP filed for bankruptcy. It had been operating at a loss because of its distance from other tourist areas, lack of parking, and mismanagement.[6] The bankruptcy led to the reorganization of shops in the marketplace.[5]
The museum at the Falls of Clyde focused on historic sailing and Polynesian sailing customs. Occasionally, outrigger canoes were displayed at the Hawaii Maritime Center as well. Aloha Tower Marketplace was in "dead mall" status by the mid-2000s, and the museum closed May 1, 2009, due to lack of revenue.[7]
Redevelopment
Hawaii Pacific University partnered with an unnamed developer to own the marketplace in 2011, and a few years later in 2013, they bought out the developer and took complete control of the facility.[8] They renovated the shopping center into a mixed-use facility with retail, restaurant, and HPU student dormitories. The redevelopment, which began in 2012 has been complicated by disputes between development entities, permitting issues and staff-reductions.[9] The project was completed in 2015.[10]
Events
2025 60th anniversary celebration
Aloha Tower Marketplace celebrated its 60th anniversary in September 2025. While the mall is actually approximately 33 years old, planning for revitalization began in the 1960s. The celebration included live music, local food trucks, beer gardens and family-free activities.[11]
References
- ^ a b c "ATDC 2022 Annual Report" (PDF). June 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ "K. Aubrey Gorman, 78, Rouse executive". The Baltimore Sun. August 30, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ "HAWAII ARCHITECT" (PDF). US Modernist. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ "Project Area Plan" (PDF). Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ a b Gomes, Andrew (January 16, 2002). "Aloha Tower owner files for bankruptcy". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Danninger, Lyn (January 16, 2002). "Aloha Tower Files for Bankruptcy". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ Bernardo, Rosemarie (April 11, 2009). "Bishop Museum cuts staff, hours: A reduction in hours is a first for the Hawaii institution". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
- ^ Dicus, Howard (March 20, 2014). "The next big thing for HPU, Aloha Tower". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Shimogawa, Duane (June 28, 2013). "Hawaii Pacific University to announce two new tenants for Aloha Tower Marketplace". Pacific Business News. American City Business Journals. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
- ^ Lee, Jamie (June 25, 2015). "Aloha Tower renovations nearing completion". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "HPU TO HOST 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT ALOHA TOWER MARKETPLACE". The Ohana. September 9, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2026.