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HAWAII
Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center revamp to cost $84M

The owner of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center is raising its investment to redevelop the property to $84 million from $55 million because Hawaii's dramatically improved tourism industry has resulted in increased visitor spending and more demand for Waikiki retail,

The planned renovation will begin in mid-April with several new enhancements geared to attracting more of Hawaii's strong visitor market, according to Kamehameha Schools, owner of the center.

Retail sales at the shopping center have jumped 19 percent in the first quarter of this fiscal year, said Susan Todani, director of investments for Kamehameha Schools.

Changes include adding a food court on the second floor, increasing the number of two-story tenant spaces and opening up the center with more windows and lanais.

The redesign, which is expected to be completed by July 2006, is the first major renovation for the 24-year-old center, which takes up a three-block stretch on Kalakaua Avenue, fronting the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian hotels.

Hotel workers support strike fund

CORRECTION Tuesday, December 21, 2004 » The last name of Sheraton Princess Kaiulani waiter Ilia Patlidzanov was misspelled as Paplidzanov in a story on Page C1 Saturday. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

The bulk of hotel workers from UNITE HERE Local 5 are willing to forgo $10 a month in pay to beef up the union's strike and defense fund by $2 million in case contract negotiations turn contentious.

Ilia Paplidzanov, a waiter at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, was just one of more than 70 percent of the union members who voted late Thursday to support the new fee.

"What's $10 a month compared to accepting increased health care costs," Paplidzanov said. "Besides, union members in New York and San Francisco have already established strike funds. It seems like it's a standard procedure right now when we are all having to fight these multibillion-dollar corporations."

The $10 contributions will begin in January and continue through December 2006.