International Market Place Will be horribly razed

Aloha

Good to know that this link is still active from the Honolulu Advertiser Archives even though the newspaper is defunct.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Sep/10/bz/bz01a.html

There is plenty of shots and history of the International Market Place in "Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs."

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2013-06-15 20:06 ]

GECKO...You have to save the tikis!!! The plaques, too!

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

check out this exotica tour of waikiki i found while searching for pics of the intl. marketplace.

http://www.kevdo.com/exotica/waikiki.html

just found this image...

i have a postcard or 2 i should scan.

Well that blows. The IMP was one of my favorite haunts on our yearly trip to the islands.

Yeah, it was cheesy and nothing like it was in its glory days, but I still liked wandering through it in a drunken stupor.

The first time I was there was in 1974 with my dad and we saw Rip Taylor at Trader Vic's. Little did I know at the time that I should have been ripping off everything in sight!

I can't believe I missed seeing the IMP. It's too bad they can't just renovate the area and theme it into a 'Disney styled' attraction while maintaining the origninal goal and style of the IMP. It could be a huge tourist attraction.

What's your take, Gecko?

Article is still online as of today

Lava Rock Cafe patio. International Market Place. 2009.

Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs is out 10/01/2010.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-08-15 23:15 ]

It seems like from what I read in our local Honolulu paper, the "new" International Marketplace (if they are keeping the name) will be quite nice, still open air, with an ampitheatre for hula performances and ceremonies, ethnic eateries, and still many kiosks. I don't know about new tikis though, it is entirely possible.

What a bummer. The IMP is staple of Waikiki the way that it is. Although they say the new structure will keep the Waikiki heritage, its hard to see how they can convey the soul of the original IMP.

Now I've really got to make my way back to see it before they bulldoze it.

The second article doesn't sound so bad. Not having been there in years and years, it's hard to say how much the place has declined or whether or not they might be able to pull off a decent reworking of the space. I know some of the TCers that have been there recently were a little disappointed.
On the bright side, maybe Trader Vics will re-open as part of the re-development? That would be fantastic.
I have many fond memories of the original International Marketplace. My dad used to take us to the Trader Vics there for lunch. When he wasn't paying attention my friends and I would ditch school and hang out there and other spots in Waikiki. On the last day I lived on Oahu in 1975, my sisters and I rode The Bus to IMP to buy t-shirts and trinkets. It would be a real shame if it is torn down and not restored in some way to its former glory.

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-09-16 11:16 ]

Maybe we should plan the grand tiki event of all time in Waikiki the spring of 2005 before the place gets torn down? Tikifish could start saving her maple leaves now.

I will be there for the holidays so I will have to see it again before its gone. International Market Place was a fun place to hang out. I hope they make it better.

i herd it was getting rid of all the liitle booths. the cheap made in China crap. I hope they get rid of that junk and leave all that space open to walk around and enjoy its beauty.

me and Fil will be there saving all of that stuff if they do. I know they won't get rid of all the carvings though because the peopo that take care of da grounds said carvings had been comming up missing so they are keeping a tight eye on da stuff (Bong).

so that must mean they are staying with all the old stuff and gettin rid of da B.S

sweeeeet

I was only there once, but I agree that the market could do better. Instead of the "International" (Made in China) goods, it could promote local Hawaiian artists and craftspeople. I would love to buy a muu-muu that was actually made in Hawai'i. (that goes for the tikis too!)
M C

I spent the first 12 years of my life living in Honolulu and never once set foot in the IMP - too many tourists, of course :) - but I am saddened by this news.

http://starbulletin.com/2005/08/13/business/index1.html

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-08-13 13:20 ]

I have mixed feelings on the latest news. On the one hand, the wife, kids and I always wandered through the IMP when we were staying on Waikiki.

On the other hand, I've seen pictures of the original IMP, and seen the mock-ups of the restoration, and that looked pretty good, too.

Considering that Waikiki has potentially the most upscale shopping on Earth with multiple malls, Gucci and 2 Coach outlets on Ala Moana, there should be some balance by keeping the more modest, open air International Market Place in its current form.

Last summer, it was mobbed with shoppers and there did
not appear to be any lack of tenants.

However, the Queen Emma Foundation has scaled back its plans not because of love of the current status quo, but because they did not want to invest the $150 million. There may be other financial institutions willing to make that investment. After all, Waikiki is one of the most touristy areas in the world and the IMP is ground zero.

We should be glad it stays in its present form for as long as it does.

Renovating IMP will be bad no matter what the plan is. Lovingly restoring what is there should be the only socially acceptable plan.
Termites? I'm sure Iolani palace was full of them in its former days of decay. Did the state tear it down and put up a hotel? No way.
If the state gave a darn about Hawaii's mid-20th century history the way they care for ancient Hawaiian and Hawaiian monarchy period cultural sites, they would take the time to catalog all of the "tiki period" artifacts and architecture that still exists at IMP, declare it a protected state landmark (kind of like St. Petersburg did with Sunken Gardens), and charge big leases to operate shops and restaurants there.
The Royal Hawaiian shops across the street from IMP is a perfectly ugly example of how old Waikiki is being destroyed and replaced by "up-to-date" mega-tourist-revenue-producing structures similar to those found in every other major tourist destination on the planet. Ugh!
There are two reasons for this, the almighty dollar of course, and locals who reject "tiki" culture as some kind of cultural embarrassment. I can't believe how narrow Hawaii's vision of itself can be sometimes. I guess it comes from living on an island.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff 2005-08-17 12:54 ]

The last thing I want to do is be contentious on any matter, nor political, but I generally think that those who want to preserve architectural landmarks and geographical settings as they are, prohibiting that they change with the times, should join together with like-minded people and purchase them.

*On 2005-08-17 12:51, Kailuageoff wrote:
*
Renovating IMP will be bad no matter what the plan is. Lovingly restoring what is there should be the only socially acceptable plan.
Termites? I'm sure Iolani palace was full of them in its former days of decay. Did the state tear it down and put up a hotel? No way.
. . .
There are two reasons for this, the almighty dollar of course, and locals who reject "tiki" culture as some kind of cultural embarrassment. I can't believe how narrow Hawaii's vision of itself can be sometimes. I guess it comes from living on an island.

Excellent association.

However, I think the problem is that the primary trusts who own the vast majority of private Hawaiian land think like land developers who happen to be in Hawaii, not like Hawaiians, who happen to own land.

Vintage postcard

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 | Modified: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New plan for International Market Place announced
Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - by Janis L. Magin

For the second time in five years, the Queen Emma Land Co. on Tuesday unveiled plans to redevelop the 50-year-old International Market Place in the center of Waikiki.

The nonprofit landowner, which was created to provide funding for The Queen’s Medical Center, is seeking a master developer to redevelop 6.48 acres along Kalakaua and Kuhio avenues into a “contemporary mixed-use resort destination that includes shopping, dining and entertainment.”

The organization hopes to generate funds to continue and expand operations at The Queen’s Medical Center, the largest private hospital in the state. The company is the real estate arm of The Queen's Health Systems, which owns some 12,000 acres statewide, including 18 acres beneath hotels and the International Market Place in Waikiki.

In September 2003, Queen Emma announced plans for a $100 million renovation of the International Market Place with construction to begin in 2005.

But there were internal disagreements over the scope of the plans and their cost, as well as changes in management of the then-Queen Emma Foundation.

The latest plans call for the redevelopment of the 2.9-acre International Market Place, the 75,000-square-foot Waikiki Town Center retail building on Kuhio Avenue, as well as the Perry’s Smorgy Restaurant and Food Pantry on the mauka side of Kuhio.

The plans may also include the Miramar Hotel property on Kuhio Avenue.
Retail ground leases at the properties expire in 2010

“You want to create a thriving center where future generations will be able to enjoy the rich heritage of these properties while maintaining a Hawaiian sense of place,” said Mark Yamakawa, president of Queen Emma Land Co., in a statement. “We recognize that we have a responsibility to do our part to help enhance Waikiki for both locals and visitors, not only for the obvious benefits to the community, but also to enhance Waikiki as a destination and strengthen Hawaii’s economy.”

The Queen Emma properties are next door to Kyo-ya Ltd.’s Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel, which is slated for redevelopment in the next several years.

Sad news. I love the IMP. Perhaps the current financial climate will give us a little bit longer to visit and pay our last respects.

I honestly think this will be just like the previous plan, and never actually materialize.

I am partially involved with a business located inside the International Market. We got a letter about this new plan back in August or September, but haven't heard anything about it since. With our tourism hurting so bad because of the economy, there is no way any bank around here would finance such a project. There have been a lot of big projects announced for Oahu in the past few years, and almost all of them have been canceled.

The market itself is also hurting, too. They have lost a lot of tenants recently, with even more not able to pay their rent.

I think it will be quite a while before the market makes big changes.

However, in the long run, I don't have much hope for the International Market. I have recently dealt with Queen Emma and the people who run the market, and I have little hope for its care. They do not have any concern about its history or saving any part of its legacy. Their only concerns are what will make the most money, and to make sure everything is done by the book using their antiquated ways of management. They would rather make sure that the proper forms are filled out than to actually make sure things are being done correctly. Their office runs like it is directly out of 1965. That is why so much of the tikiness of the place has already disappeared so quickly.

The IMP is a pathetic shadow of it's former self, with virtually nothing of value to be had in it's intirety. And the cachophony of annoying sidewalk 'performers' in front and along Kalakaua Ave. doesn't help.
I heard Jimmy Buffet's new 'rant is great in Don Ho's old digs, but it'll take much more than that to make the place better, like it used to be. It'd be great to see it actually happen!
Waikiki has shot itself in both feet long ago by driving out the Hawaiian's for soul-less view blocking concrete and Prada-esque junk. It's essentially to be avoided on any visit to the isles.

On 2009-04-05 16:27, Mo-Eye wrote:
I honestly think this will be just like the previous plan, and never actually materialize.
. . . With our tourism hurting so bad because of the economy, there is no way any bank around here would finance such a project.
. . .
However, in the long run, I don't have much hope for the International Market. I have recently dealt with Queen Emma and the people who run the market, and I have little hope for its care. They do not have any concern about its history or saving any part of its legacy. Their only concerns are what will make the most money . . .

Mo-Eye, your words offer both relief (no changes in the short term due to economic downturn), but dread in the long term (the owner will raze the entirety for another hotel or any other more lucrative venture).

Maybe this flagrant misuse of "money-that-no-one-had-but-wanted-to spend-anyway" economics of the last 8 years will possibly help derail the Prada/Gucci label infatuation that America and the world has become so horribly addicted to. Maybe it will make people realize that there is more to life than overpriced luxury crap, so that a place like Waikiki can actually reconsider it's desire to turn itself into a big mall for label whores....

Maybe not, but this bad economy is certainly putting some of this stuff in check for the time being.

Doesn't the Ala Moana center have that shit covered already ? Can't they just make Waikiki about the beach and the beauty of Hawaii ?
When I think of Waikiki, SHOPPING is the last thing I think about doing, with that beautiful beach and view of Diamond Head right there.

Hopefully this economic downturn will slow some of this "progress" down for the time being, and people will get to check out what's left of the marketplace.

Here's another good thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=22376&forum=1

Vintage postcard

Evening at International Market Place

When i was a kid The International Market Place represented such a cool little tree house hideaway that breaks up the monotonous strip of high end souless stores. When you enter it you had the feeling that you might discover a rare treasure within the lush landscape and you have entered a world of natives. It has the potential to be such a great hub of Waikiki if used properly. The place seems to have been dying a slow death over the years with vendors selling mostly junk trinkets and begging browsers to buy their stuff practically Tijuana style. It needs to have some unique authentic stuff for sale, not just the same stuff you can find at Aloha stadium on the weekend for way cheaper. Im all about preserving it and seeing it thrive but i have noticed it getting a little dull when i was back their last. The Thor store is a prime example of the kind of diversification needs to take place.

[ Edited by: Mongoloid 2009-04-07 15:02 ]

On 2009-04-07 14:55, Mongoloid wrote:

It needs to have some unique authentic stuff for sale, not just the same stuff you can find at Aloha stadium on the weekend for way cheaper. . . . The Thor store is a prime example of the kind of diversification needs to take place.

Funny, but such a viewpoint is exactly what a developer would say, along with we can generate a much higher income by having the chain stores or stores that sell thousand dollar designer bags to female tourists - and they probably would be right. Much more profit would be generated.

Realistically, I doubt a developer would develop a space in that prime location and that large only for boutique stores. It would be a hotel; maybe some condos; and chain stores and expensive restaurants. In short, it would just like Ala Moana and every block along Kalakaua Avenue. It might not even be a bad thing, although I doubt any of the remaining Tiki would survive.

And, it probably will happen - if it isn't already happening - and if the financing and anchor tenant aren't already signed up.

However, I hope to visit the IMP at least one more time before the change.

Mongoloid, I agree, that the market would do so much better if they changed the current set up. If they turned it into a site that catered to local arts and crafts (like what Don did before), that place would be amazing and draw a lot more traffic. If each cart was a different local artist, it would turn back into such a great destination, and I think they would make more money in the long run. Right now, the closest a small scale artist can get to selling their items in Waikiki is the zoo fence - nowhere near the average tourist's foot traffic.

But Christiki is right. I remember seeing the architects sketches of the first development plan. It looked exactly like Ala Moana. All the character, and even most of the trees and foliage were gone. Some locals put up a fuss, and the market finally said that they would save the big banyan in the middle, but everything else still looked like a mall.

I had inquired once about renting one of the carts, and it was some ridiculous number like $4000-$5000 a month. Even now, they would rather have empty carts than to lower the rent on them. In the space where the old Trader Vics was (which they tore down a couple years ago and is now a paved lot), there are about a dozen carts there, which are all brand new. Only about 4 of them are being used, with the others empty. At least half of them have never been occupied since they put them there. This is a classic example of the management's thinking. They tore down the Trader Vics building, which had 2 tenants, both of which were successful bars that were always filled, and replaced it with new carts that have been empty since then.

They're just morons!

On 2009-04-07 15:19, christiki295 wrote:

On 2009-04-07 14:55, Mongoloid wrote:

It needs to have some unique authentic stuff for sale, not just the same stuff you can find at Aloha stadium on the weekend for way cheaper. . . . The Thor store is a prime example of the kind of diversification needs to take place.

Funny, but such a viewpoint is exactly what a developer would say, along with we can generate a much higher income by having the chain stores or stores that sell thousand dollar designer bags to female tourists - and they probably would be right. Much more profit would be generated.

Christiki I'm not sure if something got lost in translation, but i have the total opposite viewpoint of a developer that would want to go in there and rip out a historical landmark just to add another Gucci to the Rodeo Drive of Waikiki and perpetuate the already ostentatious Kalakaua. I'm saying profits could continue to be there and there would be a reason for locals and tourists to return to a place that wasn't engulfed by the big money chain stores and offered an actual Hawaiian homegrown atmosphere. The Thor store was an example of getting away from that, and that genre would serve that environment so much better and offer such a unique local experience. I'm just calling it the way i see it as far as cheap trinkets that are made in other counties then stamped Hawaii on them, and every other cart selling the identical item can really give the feel of a fake manufactured experience. I just wish it could recapture the feel of adventure. Disneyland used to have a store called "One of a Kind" http://www.yesterland.com/oneofakind.html I just envision something along those lines there but Hawaiian Style!!! Along with local artists selling their artwork like Mo-eye said as opposed to being quarantined by the zoo. But thats just in my perfect world!

Mongaloid, that's what I was getting at when I posted on that first page back in '03! If you theme it and make it an exciting destination again, the money will come.... Pay tribute to the Hawaii that isn't there anymore and make it updated and fresh! People miss that in Waikiki! I'd like to think they do, anyway....

Lucky, you are so right.

I was the original manager of the Thor Stor, and it was Thor and I who designed and built the first one. People do want old Hawaii. We would hear that comment everyday. People who weren't even interested in the art or other tiki stuff would tell us that the Thor Stor was the only thing in Waikiki that actually looked Hawaiian.

I remember one guy coming in, looking all confused, and finally saying "I don't know exactly what you're doing or what the hell is goin' on in here, but this is the type of stuff that I want to see in Waikiki."

I definitely have to jump in here and comment. I have to say I am VERY mystified with what Waikiki is today. Max and I were seriously more passionate than any venue in Waikiki in trying to bring back Tiki. We created a Tiki themed space that was unheard of in decades...with our own hands. People would come in and their jaws would drop. I recall one old timer that said, "Oh my Lord...You guys have brought back a feeling that, with a contemporary twist, pays homage to what I recalled 20 or 30 years ago as what i wanted to see in Hawaii". We really tried to do this...and with a lot of passion and sweat. Max's own home lanai was trashed with our creations for the Stor... paint and props we built with quality that would have cost 10's of thousands had we contracted the same elements to be created. Talk about passion. I am surprised Max's girlfriend could tolerate our obsession with making this a cool place at the cost of making huge messes on the porch.

Now the hard facts. We had LOTS of praise...but not enough people SPENDING MONEY. We had a HUGE range of items...from under ten bucks to thousands for an original painting. When the economy shifted and we had to move also cus Mr. Buffet offered the landlords a more attractive lease agreement for his "Margaritaville" venue, it changed our destiny.

The THOR Gallery is what is remaining and I am forced to support what my publishers decided regarding the "numbers game". In this economy..we lose the mid range spender that would have also supported the Thor Stor" Now, we have two types of customer in Waikiki. One is the type that wants everything cheap as hell..and a 15 dollar t-shirt is a huge investment. The other are those who are so well off...this economy effects them little. They have NO problem dropping 10 to 20 thousand on an art investment"...but they want originals and that's all. So for me...the fun is not abundant. I am earning my profits one brush stroke at a time...and the profits from repros or small items are VERY reduced in this economy.

All this said..we see this "Rodeo Drive" thing happening in Waikiki. When I walk along the strip (Kalakaua) the facts are it's predominately Japanese tourists enjoying the high end name brands that are offered at EXPENSIVE, yet FAR better prices than in Japan. So..WaikikI has become a sort of discount luxury name brand outlet experience YOU CAN FLY TO IN 5 OR 6 HRS AND SIT ON THE BEACH IN BETWEEN. But it's not the fault of Japan..it's the greed I think that our Country had encouraged that has caused the demise. Waikiki has SOLD OUT it's loyalty to it's nostalgia and historic icons to buyers offering the good old FAT DOLLAR! Few really seem to care about the things we all do here in the Tiki and nostalgia areas in Hawaii. SAD ..but the numbers of places that have been bulldozed to the red dirt prove this.

Anyway... Not a lot more to say....I will stop venting. Which is all I guess I am doing out of passion for what we all love. Let's not give up though...I hope the Int. Market maintains the nostalgia and flushes the residue and generic junk....so we don't lose the last fragment of yesteryear's Tiki enchantment.

From my collection...

Vintage postcard

Back of the postcard

Filslash:

Is this where we went?

A little architectural history about Waikiki.

Pete Wimberely, who formed the architectural firm of Wimberely & Cook, based in Honolulu was the creative half of the firm. In an 1991 interview he stated "..it was Cook's job to transform his fantasy drawings into reality."

Pete was hired by his friend Donn Beach to design the International Market Place. A fantasy shopping plaza to also include a location for Donn's Beachcomber. Donn and Pete were personal friends and shared the same passion for tropical escapism.

But Pete was also responsible for the design of most of the Polynesian Pop architecture that we all love but is now gone in Hawaii.

He designed the Coco Palms Resort on Kauai

He designed the volcano inspired Cocos Coffee Shop

He designed the Canlis Restaurnt

He designed the Waikikian (Hawaii's Most Beautiful Hotel)

He designed the Kona Hilton on the Big Island (now the Royal Hawaiian)

He designed the Kanapali Beach Resort on Maui

I'm taking a long time to come around and make my point, but when Pete was asked about his design concept, his response was:

"There is commercial value in good architecture. You make places people really enjoy and you make money."

Sums it all up pretty well, and that's from the original architect.

Thanks Pete for all of your wonderful designs and fantastic contributions to Polynesian Pop Architecture!

Zulu,

Thanks for the architecture lesson. Pete was a great designer, I love his buildings.

DC

what an incredible body of work pete did. to have completed any one of these projects would be a statement but all of these??awesome!!!

I must get to Hawaii soon!!!

Update on IMP renovations...project on indefinite hold:

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/5/21/Waikiki_International_Market_Place

I bought my tiki & tiki cane at that Market Place! (Not to mention kukui nut leahs & a ukelele)