Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Friday, May 7, 1999
Washington firm to build Oahu plant
Robison Construction Inc., based in Sumner, Wash., has been signed to build the $140 million Honolulu water reclamation plant. The plant will take water from the city's Honouliuli wastewater treatment plant and turn it into high-purity water for power and petroleum refining companies at Barbers Point, and for irrigation. The company, which already has $35 million worth of work in Hawaii, said it has signed a contract to build the plant for United States Filter Corp. and the city. Construction will start June 1 and in 11 months, RCI said.United States Filter entered a partnership with the city last year in which it leased the site for $1 a year in return for building the plant and operating it. The company will get the revenues from expected sales of about 12 million gallons a day of clean water.
Foundation to run Waikiki market
The Queen Emma Foundation will take over management of the International Market Place, its Waikiki shopping and entertainment center, starting July 1.The foundation is the historic owner of the land under the center, but gained full control of the marketplace only last year when lessee WDC Ventures gave up its lease as part of a bankruptcy. A Honolulu shopping center management firm, Graham Murata Russell, has been running the center for the foundation. "Since we assumed responsibility for the operation of the International Market Place in January 1998, it has been our intent to bring management of the property in-house," said Wayne Nakashima, who will head the foundation's property management staff. He said tenants have been notified of the management switch and have been told that there should be no changes in the way the center is run, except for some personnel changes. One of the three Graham Murata Russell employees on the property will stay, he said.
Justice gives nod to Bell Atlantic, GTE
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department today cleared the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE Corp. after the companies agreed to sell one of their two interests in overlapping wireless mobile telephone systems in nine states. The merger would create the nation's largest local phone company -- even bigger than the proposed merger between regional Bell companies SBC Communications Inc. and Ameritech Corp. The Bell Atlantic-GTE combination still must clear other regulatory hurdles. GTE is the parent of Hawaiian Tel.