HONOLULU (AP) — A newly redesigned shopping venue has opened in Honolulu after undergoing a $500 million renovation.
The International Market Place opened to the public Thursday and features dozens of restaurants and retailers, including Hawaii’s first Saks Fifth Avenue. The previous version, which closed in 2013, featured only a cluster of kiosks and small stores.
Robert Taubman, president and CEO of developer Taubman Centers, said the half-billion dollar project created 2,500 permanent jobs and that revenue will be donated to island hospitals.
“We’re very proud of that, that this great project has been re-imagined and revitalized, and will continue in perpetuity to provide that kind of support into the medical needs of the community,” Taubman said.
Local residents who attended the grand opening said they liked the modern style of the shopping center.
Marilyn Paguirigan said she was glad to see that the new marketplace was still “full of aloha and a lot of new cultural aspects that really reflect our island.”