They Were There, But Now They're Gone

These sculptures were put up on several private properties owned by Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto over the past 20 years. Mr. Kawamoto was well known for buying many of these properties for millions of dollars, and then letting most of them fall into disrepair and neglect. On a few of them, he had these sculptures erected much to the dismay of neighboring property owners and residents of the high end neighborhood.

After being fined by the City & County of Honolulu for property blight and neglect, and also getting in trouble for non-payment of taxes in Japan, Mr. Kawamoto decided to sell most of his Hawaii properties.

The parcels were sold to Alexander and Baldwin (A & B) for $98 million. The new owners plan to renovate and redevelop the properties and eventually sell them off. The tacky sculptures were the first things to go as A & B brought in equipment to have them removed. Where they went no one knows.

Needless to say Mr. Kawamoto's Kahala neighbors are happy that the neglected properties are now sold.




Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Photos by macprohawaii.com

Walgreens Keeaumoku Closing Soon

One of my favorite stores in the neighborhood is closing. Walgreens on Keeaumoku Street is closing after being in operation for about 6 years in this location to make way for a new Walgreens! Yes, Hawaii's first Walgreens store is closing down to make room for a new Walgreens store. The last day of store operations is on Sunday, September 22.

After that date the store will close and the current building will be torn down. This building as well as the former KFC Restaurant building which is right next to it are both slated for demolition to make room for the new Walgreens.

I've been a patron of both businesses over the years, and more famously the old Tower Records store that occupied the space the present Walgreens' is in now. A lot of history for many people in that building, especially when it was a Tower Records location.

The new Walgreens' store will be a multi-level building with more parking, which should be good for business. Certainly this will be even greater competition for the Longs' Drug, Don Quijote and WalMart stores that are located nearby.

This Walgreens' store is one of the very few places left in Honolulu that still does one hour processing of 35mm film. Film camera enthusiasts could count on this store to develop C41 color of b/w film, make prints and burn the negatives to CD.

I have been told the only other Walgreens' locations with one hour film processing is in Kalihi and Kaneohe. I certainly don't look forward to driving to either. I will be looking for other options.

In less than 2 years they say, the new Walgreens' will be built and opened in this location.



This Walgreens' store is going to close and be torn down.

Tower Records was once a longtime business in this building. Now it will be torn down.