Ward Entertainment signs 7 new leases

Three restaurants and four clothing retailers have signed leases at the new Ward Entertainment Center in Kakaako, bringing the project up to more than 90 percent leased.

The new restaurants are L&L Drive-Inn, Gaucho Grill and Starbucks Coffee. It will be Victoria Ward's second outlet for Starbucks, which already runs another coffee shop a block away on Auahi Street. The retailers include Quicksilver Youth, Pink C, Siris and The Board Room.

The plaza is anchored by the newly finished Consolidated Ward 16 Theatre and a massive theme restaurant by Houston-based chain Dave & Buster's, which will open later this year.

Since Ward broke ground in June, the budget for the 156,000-square-foot center has risen $5 million to $45 million.

Construction crews have been hammering away to get the theater built in time for today's 7:55 a.m. opening of Disney's $135 million "Pearl Harbor." The theater received its official nod from the city -- a certificate of occupancy -- yesterday morning.

The grand opening for the entire center is scheduled for September.

Isle hiring pattern stable for summer, survey shows

Manpower Inc.'s latest employment survey predicts a flat hiring pattern for Honolulu this summer. For the July to September period, 3 percent of companies interviewed said they planned to increase their work force while 3 percent indicated they would reduce the number of employees.

Another 91 percent of those surveyed said they expected payrolls to remain steady. Three percent said they have yet to determine their employment needs.

In the past quarter, the Manpower survey showed employers were more hopeful, with 13 percent forecasting they would add workers. None anticipated reductions. A year ago, optimism was even greater with 20 percent saying increases were likely and 7 percent forecasting a cutback.

The latest survey indicated that some of the job gains forecast for the third quarter are likely to be in education. Cutbacks in construction are anticipated. Other sectors are expected to remain stable, the report said.

Outrigger Hotels lands 6th Australia contract

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has picked up its sixth Australian hotel management contract, to run the Ocean Beach Resort in the Queensland Town of 1770/Agnes Water. The "1770" refers to the year British explorer James Cook landed there, Outrigger said.

For now, the property has 50 units, a mix of one- and two-bedroom designs, plus some commercial space. Another 50 units will be added this year and by the time Outrigger assumes full management in July 2002, the hotel will have 200 rooms plus conference space, restaurants and other resort facilities.

The resort has national parks on three sides and a beach that provides the southernmost access to the Great Barrier Reef, an hour's boat ride away at Lady Musgrave Island. Honolulu-based Outrigger, which operates more hotel rooms in Hawaii than any other company, first expanded to Australia in 1998 and now runs resorts at Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast. Outrigger also has operations in Micronesia and the South Pacific.

Dick Pacific acquires $14 million Navy pact

Local contractor Dick Pacific Construction Co. has won a $13.8 million contract to design and build quarters at the Naval Station in Pearl Harbor for enlisted bachelors.

The job is expected to be completed by March 2003. The military is spending some $300 million on construction projects in Hawaii this year.

Dick Pacific's bid beat out four other offers for the project.

The company is also building a new headquarters for the Navy's Pacific Fleet at Camp Smith in Halawa, an $85 million project scheduled for completion in the summer of 2003.

Marc Resorts to manage Maui Oceanfront Inn

Marc Resorts will begin managing the Maui Oceanfront Inn June 1. The 72-unit hotel at Kihei has undergone a $5.8 million renovation that involved redoing the guest rooms, lobby, grounds and public areas into a modern boutique property, according to Matthew Delaney, Marc Resorts CEO.

One of the assets the hotel has, Delaney said, is a five-star restaurant, Sarento's.

Marc Resorts manages 20 properties on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, Kauai and Molokai.

The hotel scheduled a fund-raising event at Sarento's for 5:30 p.m. today at which Marc Resorts planned to give $1,000 to the Hawaii chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

While it has a Kihei address, Delaney said the hotel is really at the start of the upscale Wailea resort. The hotel is owned by Western Apartment Supply & Maintenance Co., based in San Diego.

CB Bancshares boosts dividend 10 percent

CB Bancshares Inc. said it will offer a new stock dividend and will increase its second quarter cash dividend by 10 percent.

The parent of 21-branch City Bank said its board of directors declared a 10 percent stock dividend and a cash dividend of 11 cents per common share for the second quarter.

The dividends are payable June 28 for shareholders of record on June 15, the company said.