Honolulu's Moanalua Center

The first shopping mall in the territory -and state- of Hawai'i was a small, community-sized center. It was built primarily to serve US Navy personnel residing in the adjacent Moanalua Manor and Moanalua Terrace housing plats.
Photo from Moanalua Manor, Limited

The second mall in Hawai'i was a privately-built venture. The first phase of WAI'ALAE ["wiy-uh-liy"] CENTER opened for business in November 1954...3 months after the dedication of MOANALUA CENTER. WAI'ALAE CENTER was rebuilt into the KAHALA MALL between 1968 and 1970.
Photo from http://imagesofoldhawaii.com / Peter T. Young   

The third mall-type shopping center in Hawai'i opened in August 1959, as the territory was achieving statehood. ALA MOANA CENTER was the Aloha State's first regional-size shopping venue.  It was 10 times the size of MOANALUA CENTER.
Photo from Mike Roberts Color Productions

Speaking of which, we have a site plan of MOANALUA CENTER, as it was configured at the time of its first anniversary, in August 1955. Only the Hukilau Restaurant was air-conditioned. Over the years, the 250,000 square foot shopping facility never had a major expansion. In its original state, it housed twenty-one stores, with free parking for 500 autos. 

MOANALUA CENTER TENANTS 1955:

FOODLAND supermarket / BEN FRANKLIN 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / SAV-MOR DRUGS (with luncheonette) / B & G Jewelers & Opticians / Bernan's Dress Shop / Ed & Don's Candies / Elizabeth's Pastry Shop / Doctor Bernard Fong / Virginia Houston Insurance / Hukilau Restaurant & Bar / Johnny's Self-Service Chevron (outparcel) / Ka-Ma-Aina Shoes / Kapiolani Furniture & Appliance / Kay's Beauty Salon / La Madrid Shoe Repair / Moanalua Cleaners / Momi's Flower Shop / Pearl Harbor Driver's Association Taxis (outparcel) / Rainbow Gift Shop / Russell's Men's Shop / Tony's Barber Shop / Doctor H.T. Wong  / Watumull's  

Here we see the open pedestrian concourse, or lanai, which bisected the 1.5 million dollar complex. A "Big M" pylon extends skyward. It was a landmark visible from the nearby Kamehameha, Nimitz and Interstate H1 Highways.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

The mini mall's southwest corner. The store space behind the sign was originally leased as a Foodland supermarket. At the time of these photos (August 2004), the 50-year-old MOANALUA CENTER still retained an incredible amount of structural integrity, as no major renovations had ever been performed. It was, indeed, a diamond in the rough.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

An interior view of a court area on the west side of the complex. Builders used lava rock as an exterior finish. This material, indigenous to Hawai'i, was a standard feature of Ultra-Modern Hawai'ian architecture of the 1950s. MOANALUA CENTER was a definitive example of this style.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

Another view of the west side court. The mall was derided as "sagging" and "tired" in newspaper articles written by reporters who were, obviously, clueless about classic modern architecture. With such negative commentary being the order of the day, it didn't take much time for the historic structure to be demolished.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

The northeast corner of MOANALUA CENTER. It had a destiny date with a wrecking ball in July 2005.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

A detail view of the east facade, looking into the pedestrian concourse. The store space on the left, occupied by a combination A & W Root Beer & Long John Silver's, originally housed a Ben Franklin 5 & 10.

Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

The Moanalua Community Church was added to the mall site in 1958. It was joined by six freestanding fast-food restaurants, built between 1976 and 1983. There were also two filling stations, a convenience store, car wash and office building in the periphery of the mall. The original plan was to bulldoze this architecturally significant structure along with the mall. Fortunately, the church got listed on the Hawai'i Register of Historic Places in the nick of time.
Photo from Library of Congress / David Franzen

You Can't Get There From Here! We present a map showing MOANALUA CENTER and its close proximity to three major Honolulu highways. Although these thoroughfares passed right by the mall, getting from them to it was quite a challenge. This lack of access contributed to the decline and demise of the original complex.

Which leads us into the next phase of MOANALUA CENTER. The Aloha State's first mall, which was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in mid-2003, never quite made it onto said Register. It was decided to raze the mall and build new structures. The new MOANALUA CENTER, depicted here, opened during 2006.
Drawing from the MacNaughton Group

A parting view of the "new & improved" MOANALUA. These trendy -but mundane- Post Modern structures received the Building Hawaii Award of Excellence in 2007. 

Photo from http://www.pcl.com  / PCL Construction

MOANALUA CENTER
Bougainville Drive and Vanderburgh Steet
Honolulu City & County (Naval Station Pearl Harbor), Hawai'i

The year 1954 brought the Territory of Hawai'i its first two mall-type shopping complexes; MOANALUA CENTER and WAI'ALAE ["wiy-uh-liy"]  CENTER. These were built in the northwestern and southeastern environs of Honolulu and were both community-sized, open-air facilities.

MOANALUA CENTER was constructed on a 15.2-acre parcel, located 2 miles northwest of the 'Iolani Palace (Territorial Capitol Building), in central Honolulu. The mall site was within the Naval Station Pearl Harbor military base.

Developed by the United States Navy, under the auspices of Moanalua Manor, Limited and Moanalua Terrace, Limited, the mall was built to serve military families residing at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, as well as the adjacent Hickam Air Force Base. Honolulu's Alfred Preis designed the structure, with assistance from the Harland, Batholomew & Associates firm of St. Louis, Missouri.

Plans for the shopping complex were announced in October 1953, with construction commencing in February of the following year. MOANALUA CENTER originally encompassed 250,000 leasable square feet and, when fully tenanted, housed twenty-one stores and services. An official dedication was held August 19, 1954, with eleven stores opening their doors. In attendance were Farrant L. Turner, Secretary of The Territory of Hawai'i, and Rear Admiral C.E. Olson, Commandant of the Fourteenth Naval District.

George Freitas, President of the Moanalua Manor and Moanalua Terrace corporations, cut a ceremonial ribbon. Music was provided by Ken Alford's Dixie Cats. Free balloons, orchids and pastries were handed out. Festivities included square dancing and a hog-calling contest.

Anchoring MOANALUA CENTER was a (19,400 square foot) Foodland supermarket. Charter tenants included Sav-Mor Drugs, Ka-Ma-Aina Shoes, Elizabeth's Pastry Shop, Kay's Beauty Salon and Tony's Barber Shop. An (11,600 square foot) Ben Franklin 5 & 10 held its grand opening October 1, 1954.

The complex incorporated elements of International, or Ultra-Modern, architecture. Native building materials, such as lava rock, were used extensively. Storefronts were fashioned from large expanses of plate glass, encased in aluminum framing. A 300-foot-long pedestrian mall, with eight concrete planter boxes, bisected the shopping center.

Over the years, very few changes were made to the basic structure. It was never substantially renovated, even when a major regional shopping hub opened in its vicinity. The first segment of PEARLRIDGE CENTER {2.6 miles northwest} was dedicated in August 1972. Throughout its history, MOANALUA CENTER remained a small, community-class retail facility, even though it was located near the confluence of two major thoroughfares; the Kamehameha and Nimitz Highways.

In 1980, a section of the Queen Lili'uokalani Freeway, a.k.a. Interstate H-1, opened to traffic. This stretch of superhighway passed within 900 feet of MOANALUA CENTER. However, access between mini mall and freeway was difficult, which made it inconvenient for potential shoppers to navigate between the two.

By the late 1960s, the Ben Franklin store at MOANALUA CENTER had morphed into an S. H. Kress. This store went out of business in 1981. Foodland was in operation until 1996. Its vacant space, and the store formerly occupied by Sav-Mor Drugs, was reoccupied by Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor. 

By the early 2000s, MOANALUA CENTER housed stores and services such as Calvary Chapel, Airiang BBQ, Cheerleaders Sports Bar, Jesse's Bakery & Coffee Shop, Kanebo Cosmetics, Family Law Center and a combination A & W Root Beer-Long John Silver's.

The US Navy, who owned the shopping complex, wanted to establish a consolidated Navy Community Support Services Center for base personnel. The shopping center site was deemed a perfect location for such a facility. Different scenarios were pondered, with a renovation of the existing structure given consideration. In the end, it was decided that it would be more feasible to raze the 1950s-vintage retail complex and build from the ground up.

A joint venture, with Honolulu's MacNaughton Group, was established. They would oversee redevelopment and lease retail space at a newly-built complex. The final operational stores at MOANALUA CENTER closed in June 2005. Demolition got underway in July of the same year. Ten peripheral structures were left standing. These included KFC, Jack In The Box, McDonald's, a Chevron filling station, 7-11 convenience store and Navy Aloha Center office building.

Ground was broken in August 2005. Two strip-type buildings were constructed, which encompassed 30,800 square feet. These were flanked by a 2-level (65,500 square foot) Navy Services Center. The first tenants in the 20 million dollar MOANALUA CENTER opened for business in August 2006. The tenant list would eventually include Ruby Tuesday, Loco Moco Drive In, Yummy Korean BBQ, KOA Pancake House and Subway, as well as Starbucks Coffee, Baskin-Robbins ice cream, Vitamin World, Ken's Cleaners and Pearl Family Dental Care. 

Sources:

The Honolulu Advertiser

"Moanalua Shopping Center, Photographs, Written Historical & Descriptive Data" / Historical American Buildings Survey, Pacific Great Basin System Support Office / National Park Service / Oakland, California / Compiled by Erika L. Webb / 2004       
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog / David Franzen
http://imagesofoldhawaii.com / Peter T. Young
http://www.bizjournals.com

Honolulu's Wai'alae Center / Kahala Mall

The second mall-type shopping center on The Islands was developed in Honolulu's southeastern environs. WAI'ALAE ["Wiy-uh-liy"] CENTER opened for business in November 1954.

Graphic from the Bishop Estate

WAI'ALAE CENTER was designed with input from master mall architect Victor Gruen. 

Photo from Library of Congress

The shopping center was anchored by a Piggly Wiggly supermarket. Encompassing 17,000 square feet, it was the original mall's largest store.

Photo from Architectural Forum magazine / January 1956

Piggly Wiggly was in operation at WAI'ALAE CENTER for over 4 years.

Graphic from Piggly Wiggly Stores, Incorporated

Since 1935, Hawaiian Piggly Wiggly stores had been franchises of the mainland grocery chain. In January 1959, all stores were placed under local ownership and rebranded with the Western Super nameplate.

Graphic from Western States Groceries of Hawaii, Limited

By the mid-1960s, Western Super stores were operating as Star Markets. This brand would be in use until the early 2000s.

Graphic from Western Star Supermarkets

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 dark gray were completed in 1958, with Longs Drugs (medium 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 / JoJan 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

Along with the 10 million dollar mall refurbishment came the 24-story, eighty-eight-unit, Regency At Kahala condominiums. The first two and three bedroom units were leased in August 1969 and went for between $39,300 and $79,700. Today, the same abodes would cost upwards of $1,250,000!

Advert from The Regency At Kahala

"Cool-carpeted-covered." The roofing renovation was finished in September 1970. By 1973, an octagonal Joseph Magnin had opened. The Lunalilo Freeway-Interstate H-1 now ran along the mall's northern perimeter. With these improvements, KAHALA MALL covered around 350,000 leasable square feet and contained forty-nine stores. Surface lots, a rooftop deck and 2-level garage provided free parking for 1,700 autos. 

Zooming through time 14 years, we come to a circa-1987 site plan. The defection of J.C. Penney, in early 1985, left the mall in dire straits. The vacant structure was sectioned into inline stores and a 5-plex cinema. Post-renovation, KAHALA MALL encompassed approximately 370,000 leasable square feet, featured seventy-five stores, and included a second (newly-built) parking garage. 

A contemporary photo shows the south facade of the Liberty House...make that Macy's...anchor store. The small white building on the left houses See's Candies.                                                        

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

Here, we see the Longs Drugs store that has operated at WAI'ALAE CENTER-KAHALA MALL since 1963.

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

Champs Sports' KAHALA store occupied a section of the old F.W. Woolworth. It had opened -in late 1958- as the first Woolworth's on The Islands. Woolworth's went belly up in July 1997. Soon after, Champs (a Woolworth subsidiary) set up shop. This Champs shut down in 2023.

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

The Roof Deck parking lot has been a KAHALA MALL feature since the 1968-1970 renovation. Two small strip centers, accessed from said Deck, were built. This one was completed in 1989.

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

Original stores in the Rooftop Shops strip center opened in 1993.

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com            

A contemporary aerial view of KAHALA MALL. Looming in the distance is Diamond Head, an extinct volcano. Running along the right side of the image is the Lunalilo Freeway (a.k.a. Interstate H-1). This section of elevated expressway, built over Wai'alae Avenue, opened to traffic in June 1969.

Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

"Book him, Dan-O." Jack Lord, star of CBS-TV's original "Hawaii Five-O" series, frequented KAHALA MALL. A commemorative bust of the actor, created by Lynn Weller Liverton, was installed at the shopping hub in 2004.

Photo from https://imagesofoldhawaii.com

Amazingly enough, KAHALA MALL has been promoted with the exact same logo since January 1970. We at the Mall Hall Of Fame applaud this nod to tradition and posterity.

Graphic from https://www.kahalamallcenter.com    

We wrap up our WAI'ALAE-KAHALA excursion with a circa-2024 site plan. At this time, the mall encompasses around 414,000 leasable square feet, with a retail roster of ninety-eight stores and services. Among the newer entries are Macy's (2001), Whole Foods Market (2008), Ross Dress For Less (2014) and Planet Fitness (2023).

WAI'ALAE CENTER-KAHALA MALL                       

Wai'alae and Kilauea Avenues                                   

Honolulu City & County, Hawai'i

Ground was broken for Hawaii's second mall-type shopping complex in May 1953. An 8.9-acre construction site was located 4.7 miles southeast of downtown Honolulu, in the Wai'alae-Kahala area of the city. 

WAI'ALAE ["wiy-uh-liy"] CENTER was developed by the Bishop Estate of Honolulu, a charitable trust created by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The open-air mall was designed by Victor Gruen, of Los Angles' Victor Gruen Associates, Rudolph L. Baumfeld, also of Gruen Associates, and the Honolulu-based Rothwell & Lester firm. 

A mall-wide grand opening was held on November 4, 1954. The Stage 1 complex encompassed approximately 27,300 leasable square feet and housed seven store spaces. The largest was a (17,000 square foot) Piggly Wiggly supermarket. Other charter tenants included Benson Smith Drug and the Dutch Girl Pastry Shoppe. Free parking was provided for 400 autos.  

In January 1957, the Bishop Estate announced plans for a major expansion of WAI'ALAE CENTER. A 2-level (75,000 square foot), Honolulu-based Liberty House became the first operational Stage 2 store, on February 15, 1958. 

By October, several other businesses had opened. These included Honolulu Savings & Loan, MidPac Lumber Company, Kahala Florist, Music City records and a (13,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. WAI'ALAE CENTER now covered 160,000 leasable square feet. The parking area accommodated 1,500 autos. 

The entire 26-acre mall site began to be developed in the late 1950s. New peripheral structures included the twenty-lane Wai'alae Bowl (May 1959) and JoJan (Joe Fatt & Jan Moresi) Restaurant (November 1959). The Piggly Wiggly supermarket had been rebranded, as a Western Super, on January 16, 1959. By 1964, the grocery was operating as a Star Market. 

 

Meanwhile, a (20,000 square foot) Longs Drugs had been built on the south end of the shopping complex. This store welcomed first customers on August 18, 1963. The freestanding JoJan restaurant closed its doors in May 1966. A new owner re-opened the facility, as Reuben's Restaurant, in September of the same year. 

 

In July 1966, WAI'ALAE CENTER was sold to the Kahala Center Company. This entity -a subsidiary of Los Angeles' Phillip Lyon Company- now owned the physical mall structure. However, the land beneath it was still owned by the Bishop Trust. 

 

The Kahala Center Company announced a second major mall renovation and expansion in February 1967. This project, which would enclose all courts and concourses, was plagued by various construction problems over the next 2 years. Demolition work commenced in November 1968, with a great deal of the mall being razed. Liberty House, Star Market, Longs Drugs and Woolworth's were left standing. 

Liberty House and Woolworth's were enlarged. Liberty House grew to 92,400 square feet, with Woolworth's being expanded to 31,000. A new shopping concourse was built along with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store opened its doors on November 12, 1969. The remodeled Woolworth's was dedicated on April 29, 1970, with Liberty House rededicated on September 27th. Construction on inline stores and the new shopping concourse had been completed by September 1970. 

A new name was bestowed as part of the 10 million dollar enclosing renovation. The shopping hub would be known, henceforth, as KAHALA MALL. The first enclosed and air-conditioned shopping center on The Islands, it encompassed approximately 350,000 leasable square feet. Inline stores added during the renovation included Carol & Mary ladies' wear, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour, Granat Jewelers, Harvest House Coffee Shop, Morrow's Nut House and a 2-level (20,900 square foot) McInerny's junior department store.

The next mall addition brought a 1-level (14,500 square foot), San Francisco-based Joseph Magnin. This octagonal store opened for business on October 22, 1973 and closed for good on March 1, 1983. The vacant building was leased by the Carole & Mary chain, who incorporated a (1,300 square foot) Alion boutique into their operation. The combined store began business on August 1, 1983. Alion relocated into its own mall space in November 1987. The Carole & Mary KAHALA store went dark on July 31, 1992. 

A third mall renovation was done after J.C. Penney pulled up stakes, in January 1985. The abandoned store was divided into nineteen tenant spaces and the 5-screen Consolidated Amusement Company Kahala Theatres. The movie house showed first features on December 19, 1986. It re-opened as an 8-plex in November 1989. With these improvements, KAHALA MALL encompassed approximately 370,000 leasable square feet.

Reuben's Restaurant had been renamed -as the Spindrifter Restaurant- in November 1976. This eatery shut down in November 1993. The building was demolished and replaced by a (20,000 square foot) Barnes & Noble Superstore, which opened on April 7, 1995. At this time, KAHALA MALL spanned 407,000 leasable square feet and was managed by San Francisco-based MMI Realty Services, Incorporated. 

The Star Market grocery was rebranded, as a Whole Foods Market, on September 10, 2008. Barnes & Noble closed for good in January 2014. Ross Dress For Less leased the space and was officially dedicated in October of the same year. 

 

Liberty House had established a Men's Store in the vacant Carole & Mary building in October 1992. It was rebannered, as Macy's The Men's Store, on November 22, 2001. This was done in conjunction with the "Macy-ation" of the adjacent Liberty House. Macy's The Men's Store was shuttered on March 14, 2022. Planet Fitness assumed the store space and opened for business on March 21, 2023.

Sources:

The Honolulu Advertiser

https://www.qpublic.ne / City & County of Honolulu Real Property Assessment Division

https://www.kahalamallcenter.com 

https://www.kahalamallcenter.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://www.kitv.com 

https://www.hawaiiliving.com 

"Kahala Mall" article on Wikipedia

Honolulu's Ala Moana Center



The first large-scale shopping mall in "Huh-viy-ee" opened in August 1959, just 17 days before the islands became our 50th state. ALA MOANA CENTER was the Aloha State's third mall-type shopping  complex. "Ala Moana" means "Path to the Ocean" in the native tongue.
Photo from Plastichrome By Colourpicture Publishers, Incorporated

Our Hawaiian eye espies Sears' Makai entrance (Makai ["mah-kiy"] translates to "Toward the Sea"). This store anchored the mall for over 53 years.
Photo from www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties

ALA MOANA CENTER was done in grand 1950s Polynesian style. Here is an example of one of the original Tiki touches. This "ki'i" was created by artisan Edward Brownlee.
Photo from www.thetikiroom.com / David Cornwall

A Petroglyph Fountain once graced the mall's common area.
Drawing from www.thetikiroom.com

In 1959, the shiny new ALA MOANA CENTER encompassed around 680,000 leasable square feet and contained ninety stores. There was free parking for over 5,000 autos. The Street (Lower) Level consisted of a truck tunnel surrounded by inline stores; these accessed from the adjacent parking garage. Stores on the Mall (Upper) Level flanked an open-air shopping concourse.

ALA MOANA CENTER TENANTS 1959:

STREET LEVEL
SEARS (with Coffee Shop and Auto Center) / SHIROKIYA / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / FOODLAND supermarket / Ala Moana Banquet Hall / Ala Moana Flowers / Ala Moana Kieki Land & Mini Golf / Aloha Health Foods / Bamboo Window / Birdland / Budget Finance / Candle Shop / Catherine's Anticipation / Coral Reef Restaurant / Crack Seed Center / Dairy Queen / Davies Travel Agency / Down Under Cocktail Lounge / Ed & Don's Candies / Eleanor's Beauty Salon / Elizabeth & George Photographic Studio / Fishland / Francis Camera Shop / Friendly Service Station (outparcel) / Gifts of the Orient / Gima's Art Gallery / Hardwoods Hawai'i / Honolulu Book Shops / Honolulu Sporting Goods / Hopako Stationers / Hotei-Ya / House of Music / Iida's / India Imports / Island Coin & Stamp / Irene's Hawai'ian Gifts / Isuzu of Hawai'i / Jeanlu Toys / Joe Pacific / John's Newsstand (kiosk) / Marco Polo Restaurant / Mai Fai Jewels / Pacific Laundry / Pacific Music Center / Party Center / Philippine Handicrafts / Prince Kumio's Restaurant / RCA Communications / Religious Shop / Riccar / Sachi's Invisible Mending / Slipper House / Sport Shop / Territorial Savings & Loan Association / The Coffee Shop / Tony's Barber Shop / Tutu's / US Post Office / Yama's Custom Tailor / Yuri's Handbags / Yuri's Luamala 

MALL LEVEL
SEARS (with Coffee Shop and Auto Center) / LONGS DRUGS (with luncheonette) / SHIROKIYA / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Aloha Fashions ladies' wear / Andrade ladies' wear / Carol & Mary ladies' wear / Carousel ladies' wear / Chandler's Shoes / Ed & Don's Candies / Fashions By Hino ladies' wear / Doctors Gould & Emura / Hartfield's / Hub Men's Wear / Interiors Hawai'i / Leed's Qualicraft Shoes / Reyn's Men's Wear / McInerny's Men's Wear / Ming's / Paul's Jewelry / Sato Clothiers / Security Diamond Company / Shida's Babyland / Shirts & Blouses / The Pocketbook Man / Thom McAn Shoes / Vimi's / Watumull's

At the time of a circa-1966 layout, the Diamond Head Wing (in gray) has just been completed. It consists of 3 floors; the Street, Mall and Third Levels. The shopping complex now encompasses approximately 1.3 million square feet, making it one of the largest retail centers in the fifty states.

 

A second circa-'66 ALA MOANA layout shows how freight was delivered to the mall. A Truck Concourse tunnel spans nearly the entire length of the Street Level. 

A revolving restaurant was on the 23rd floor of the Ala Moana Building. La Ronde opened for business in November 1961 and was one of three food service facilities in the office tower. L'Omelette Coffee Shop was on the 3rd floor. The Belfry was on the 20th. 

Graphic from the La Ronde Corporation

A mid-1960s view of the open court area between the circa-1959 'Ewa Wing and new Diamond Head Wing. La Ronde, atop the Ala Moana Building, was the world's first revolving restaurant. The sculpture on the right, "The Fountain of the Gods," was created by Bumpei Akaji.
Photo from Fotocolor Marino Brothers

A 1966 aerial view of ALA MOANA CENTER, which has just emerged from a major expansion. A third level has been added to Sears. Far in the distance is a new second anchor store, Honolulu-based Liberty House. 
Photo from the Hawaiian Novelty Sales Company

One of the mall's original water features, George Tsutekawa's "Waiola" (or "Living Waters"). It was installed during the 1966 mall expansion.
Photo from https://www.alamoanacenter.com

McInerny's men's wear was a charter ALA MOANA CENTER tenant. 

Photo from Genesco, Incorporated Annual Report 1968