RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM A blessing was held at Windward Mall yesterday as it prepares to undertake a yearlong renovation project. Halau Hula O Napunaheleonapua performed as part of the ceremonies.

6 new shops coming to Windward Mall

The mall blesses its planned $23 million yearlong renovation

Six new tenants were announced yesterday for Windward Mall during a blessing for its upcoming $23 million renovation by mall owner Kamehameha Schools. It is the first renovation for the mall since it opened 24 years ago.

Called "Winds of Change," the yearlong renovation project will replace the flooring on the first and second levels; update the entries, restrooms and guardrails; upgrade lighting, landscaping, signage and seating areas; and will add an escalator to the theater wing.

One entrance on the upper level will have a glass, etched canopy with trellis work, said Susan Todani, director of development and planning for Kamehameha Schools.

The largest tenant announced by General Manager Jonathan Kim yesterday was Borders Books and Music. Borders and a Starbucks Cafe will open in 22,000 of the more than 40,000 square feet available under Regal Cinemas' second-floor location. The ground-floor space has been vacant since J.C. Penney closed its Windward Mall store years ago, well before closing its other Hawaii locations.

The other retailers announced are:

» d.e.m.o, a hip-hop clothing and apparel store that will open in a 3,298 square foot space on the lower level at Center Court.

» Lids, which will move into the 738 square feet vacated by Sentimentally Yours last month. It sells various types of hats and ball caps, including plain ones that can be personalized with embroidery.

» Footwear and accessory retailer Journeys will move into the old Special Dreams space.

» Sanrio, known around the world for its Hello Kitty and other character-generated merchandise, will open in 960 square feet next to PacSun in the theater wing.

» Smoothie maker Surf City Squeeze will open its first Hawaii location in 460 square feet on the second floor. Surf City Squeeze belongs to Arizona-based Kahala Corp., franchiser of eight food-service concepts. The operator, Shaun Khan, originally from Florida, is new to the restaurant business and is committed to opening 10 locations in Hawaii in five years. The Windward Mall store is to open in the fourth quarter of this year.

Most of the renovation work, which will begin Sept. 1, will be done at night to minimize disruption to mall operations.

Daytime construction will take place in the space under Regal Cinemas, said Todani, because it is partitioned from mall traffic.

The architectural work was done by Los Angeles-based Altoon + Porter and the general contractor, VCC of Texas, has hired mostly local subcontractors, Todani said.