The first bona fide anchor store at WAI'ALAE CENTER was a 2-level, Honolulu-based Liberty House. The exterior of the structure was designed by Victor Gruen Associates, with interior design by Welton Becket & Associates. Liberty House Wai'alae welcomed first shoppers in February 1958.
Drawing from American Factors, Limited
The original -circa-1954- mall encompassed the supermarket and all structures shown in black. Structures indicated in medium gray were completed in 1958, with Longs Drugs (in light gray) having opened in 1963. In 1965, the complex covered around 160,000 leasable square feet and housed twenty-three stores and services. Free parking was provided for 1,500 autos.
WAI'ALAE CENTER TENANTS 1965:
LIBERTY HOUSE (with Liberty House Luncheonette, Barber Shop and Special Events Room) / STAR MARKET / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with Luncheonette) / LONGS DRUGS / Bank of Hawaii (outparcel) / Bishop Realty / Cyrils Hobby & Bicycle Shop / Decorators Showroom home furnishings / Don's Western Store / Dutch Girl Pastry Shoppe / Garden City / Gold Bond Stamp redemption center / Honolulu Savings & Loan Company / Jeanlu Toys / JoJans Restaurant (outparcel) / Kahala Barber Shop / Leaders Shoes / Pacific Hardware / Ramsay Appliance / Regina Portrait / Singer Sewing Center / Terahns Beauty Salon / Wai-Kahala Travel / Wai'alae Bowl (outparcel) / Young Laundry & Dry Cleaners
A menu from the WAI'ALAE CENTER Woolworth Luncheonette.
Advert from the F.W. Woolworth Company
A 1968 photo shows WAI'ALAE CENTER just before a massive renovation got underway. Liberty House (on the left) would be enlarged and its exterior totally refurbished. A great deal of the mall would be demolished, with the complex rebuilt as KAHALA MALL, a fully-enclosed shopping facility.
Photo by "Kamaaina 56"
The shiny new KAHALA MALL would feature a second anchor department store. Penneys' 75,000 square foot unit was predominantly a single-level structure. The store commenced operation in November 1969.
Drawing from the J.C. Penney Company
A pre-construction rendering shows how KAHALA MALL would be situated when all the construction dust had settled. Liberty House is seen on the left. Moving toward the right, we see a new 2-story McInerny's junior department store. In the far right are the aforementioned J.C. Penney and a freestanding Reuben's Restaurant.
Drawing from Mayer & Kanner Architects
The air-conditioned shopping concourse at KAHALA would be illuminated by skylights and clerestory windows. Interior spaces would be decorated with a "stylized adaptation of Polynesian building forms."
Drawing from Mayer & Kanner Architects
