Home Depot Home Depot Inc. plans to open its first Big Island store in Kailua-Kona, as west Hawaii's economic engine appears to shows no signs of slowing.
expanding
to Big Isle
The home-improvement
retailer expects its 4th store in
the state to open by mid-2002By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com
The new store, the Atlanta-based big-box retailer's fourth in Hawaii, will occupy nearly 140,000 square feet of retail space in the Kaloko Industrial Park, next to Costco's Big Island location.
Home Depot hopes to break ground as early as January and complete it by the summer of 2002, company spokesman Chuck Sifuentes said.
The retailer is attempting to complete its purchase of the 12-acre site and is in the process of obtaining the necessary building permits, according to Sifuentes.
The new store -- which will include a 24,000-square foot garden center -- will employ 150 to 200 full-time and part-time employees, Sifuentes said.
Sifuentes said Home Depot remains optimistic about the prospects for the Big Island's economy. Studies conducted by company consultants indicate there's much economic support in the Kailua-Kona community, he said.
While the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., have hurt the nation's financial markets and slowed visitor traffic to the isles, the Big Island's economy appears to be growing at a robust pace.
Local developers have committed to more than $1 billion in new residential and infrastructure construction during the next 20 years on the Big Island.
"Our surveys tell us that Kona is prime to support a Home Depot store," Sifuentes said.
The new Home Depot comes as rival Lowe's Cos. is mulling plans for its first east Hawaii store, real estate sources said.
Currently, Home Deport operates three stores statewide, with locations at Iwilei, Pearl City and Maui.