City to sell Ala Moana Beach Park

HawaiiBlogger has learned of secret plans by Honolulu’s City Council to sell Ala Moana Beach Park to General Growth Properties.

Council members have concluded negotiations with the owner of Ala Moana Center and Ward Centers to hand over the park to GGP once all homeless and vagrant residents in the park have been removed.

Many questions regarding the transaction remain unanswered. It has been learned that City Council members signed an agreement not to discuss the sale until a public announcement has been made. The exact purchase price of Ala Moana Beach Park is unknown, though is thought to exceed $100-million.

One Honolulu City Council member was overheard to say that council members made the deal contingent up receiving a commission for the sale, in a manner similar to sales commissions received by the former trustees of The Bishop Estate, now Kamehameha Schools. Some legal hurdles need to be overcome, including the city’s need to obtain the rights to sell a beach.

What are General Growth’s plans for Ala Moana Beach Park? More stores. More restaurants. More parking. The world’s largest outdoor shopping center has reached a point where geographic growth is limited north, east, and west of Kapiolani Boulevard, making the beach and park south of Ala Moana as the only alternative.

In related news, Starbucks plans to continue expansion in Hawaii and will open a new Starbucks and Jamba Juice in the Hawaii Capitol Building early in 2008. Plans to open a Starbucks inside Iolani Palace fell through when the State Legislature failed to fund a parking garage on Iolani Palace grounds.