Home Depot
plans 2nd isle store

Even more outlets
may be in the works here

Star-Bulletin staff

Home Depot, the nation's largest home improvement retailer, is buying 13.8 acres in Pearl City from the city to build a second Oahu store.

The Atlanta company plans to build a 130,000-square-foot outlet plus a 24,800-square-foot garden center across from Pearl Highlands Shopping Center, Mayor Jeremy Harris said yesterday.

Harris announced that Home Depot was buying the Pearl City Junction property for $17.5 million. He said the retail outlet will employ 300 workers.

"Their willingness to invest over $30 million in our city reflects the positive outlook business and financial experts have for Honolulu," Harris said.

Harris' announcement comes two months after plans were revealed for a 136,000-square-foot Home Depot outlet in Iwilei. The company said in April it signed a letter of intent with Castle & Cooke Properties Inc. to lease an eight-acre site on Ala Kawa Street near Nimitz Highway.

A company spokeswoman this morning said the company is planning two and possibly more stores for the Hawaii market. She said she couldn't discuss details of the planned Pearl City outlet.

It was not clear when the Pearl City store would open. But when the company disclosed plans for its Iwilei outlet, it said that store would likely open in 1999 and employ about 200 people.

Home Depot was one of three bidders for the Pearl City site, Harris said. The city bought the property for $15 million in 1991.