Longtime Hawaii businesses are among several excitedly preparing to move into new digs in the former Weyerhaeuser plant at 900 N. Nimitz Highway as early as late summer.

Ba-Le Inc. owner Thanh Lam, his brother Thien Lam, Island Flooring Company Inc., 900 LLC and Green Builders LLC bought the building for $20 million last year and have been busy renovating it inside and out, preparing for their tenants' move-ins as well as their own.

“;We never dreamed that we may have this space,”; said Ba-Le founder Thanh Lam. It still seems like a dream, “;but it's true.”;

Lam's empire is best known for its quick-service restaurants specializing in Vietnamese-style sandwiches. Of the 24 stores statewide, the one company-owned store is the original location at 150 N. King St. in Chinatown, opened Dec. 16, 1984. The others, including four on Maui and one in Kona, are franchised to family members and former employees. The cavernous industrial space will enable expanded statewide distribution.

“;Everything is perfect,”; he said, noting that the second floor of the building has concrete floors that are 16 to 18 inches thick, 20 inches in spots, more than sufficient to support the ovens and other equipment that will be used by the Ba-Le bakery and other food product manufacturing.

“;Upstairs we have 60,000 square feet ... 80 percent of the second floor,”; that will house increased output of the company's line of granolas, breads and increasingly popular puff snacks sold at Foodland stores and elsewhere.

Downstairs Lam will install high-cube freezers to store the dough he makes for Hawaii's Papa John's Pizza restaurants and other foodstuffs distributed to the popular pizza maker.

Also downstairs, Lam's sons, Trung and Brandon, and corporate pastry chef Rodney Weddle will open La Tour Cafe, a new restaurant concept that will sell pho (a style of Vietnamese soup), pastries, local coffee and more.

Incoming tenant Boulevard Saimin will open with a new name - Tanaka Saimin - but with the same Nomiyama family recipe that was given to Kazuko Tanaka and her son Toshiaki when the family started Boulevard Saimin in 1956, said Kazuko's granddaughter Joan Watanabe.

“;We always wanted to move, and it was a good opportunity (Lam) offered us,”; she said.

Tanaka Saimin will have a new kitchen, new booths, more than double the square footage of the current store and a mezzanine with office space, due to the 22-foot-high ceiling.

“;We hope to be open by July 4th,”; she said.

Another excited new tenant is Party City of Hawaii Inc., expanding to a second Hawaii location after more than 15 years at Waikele Center in Central Oahu.

The Nimitz store will be just more than double the size of the Waikele store, said Kristi Inouye, assistant manager. “;We've been wanting to expand for so long, and the universe came together here.”;

She was not sure when build-out or hiring would begin, but she estimated the store would need about 50 employees.

Party City, a franchise of the 600-unit national chain, hopes to open in mid-July “;but definitely before Halloween,”; Inouye said.

The Weyerhaeuser redevelopment “;is a great project,”; said broker Steve Sofos, president of Sofos Realty Corp.

Only two ground-floor spaces remain, while some upstairs office space is available.

Most of the construction and renovation has been done by 57 Builders Ltd., which will have offices on the second level.

Starting from the Koko Head end of the building, La Tour Cafe will occupy the first space; Tanaka Saimin is next, followed by Party City, two vacant spaces and the AirGas Showroom; and 7-Eleven is at the Ewa corner at Alakawa Street.

Bangkok Chef and Island Flooring, a building co-owner, round out the commercial tenants on the ground floor.

Sofos served as the broker when Costco bought its property on Alakawa Street years ago. He predicted at the time Costco's presence would “;revitalize and change this whole area,”; which now has a Home Depot and Best Buy, with Lowe's going in on nearby Pacific Street.

Sofos predicts the former Weyerhaeuser building will “;become one of the most successful retail locations in all of the Honolulu market.”;