Ward Centre opened in 1982 and closed to the public on June 30, 2026, after more than four decades as the middle of the Ward area. Demolition is now underway. Doug Johnstone of Howard Hughes Communities told Aloha State Daily he expects it to finish early next year. The two towers that will replace the center broke ground on Sept. 28.
HONOLULU Magazine's July roundup tracked 22 Ward Centre businesses. Seven gave Kakaʻako addresses. Five of those landed on Ward Avenue, Auahi Street or Waimanu Street, close to the old center. Paul Brown Salons went mauka to 1601 Kapiʻolani Blvd., and Mian & Bao planned a merger at 808 Sheridan St. Most of the others moved to other parts of Oʻahu, went online-only, or still have no new storefront. So the part of Ward Centre that's still in the neighborhood now spans a few nearby blocks instead of one shopping center.
The Five That Stayed Close
Here's where each one landed, from mauka to makai:
- Friends' Books & Music, 610 Ward Ave. This was Village Books & Music at Ward Centre. It reopened under the new name on Wednesday, July 15, according to the Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi.
- Johnny's Dog Spa, 320 Ward Ave. It moved to Ward Avenue, and Ward Village's directory now lists it at that address.
- Sweat + Soul, 320 Ward Ave. Same building as Johnny's. That means the dog groomer and the gym that shared Ward Centre still share a single address.
- Kamitoku Ramen, South Shore Market, 1170 Auahi St. The shop took over the former Scratch Kitchen space and soft-opened in July. When Aloha State Daily reported the move, the grand opening hadn't happened yet.
- Tali's Bagels, 1052 Waimanu St. In August, Aloha State Daily reported that the shop planned to soft-open on Friday, Aug. 21.
Put together, the old Ward Centre routine still mostly works on foot. The ramen and the books are a short walk apart. The dog spa and the gym share a building, and the bagels are one street over. The only difference is that you now walk down a street instead of through a single parking lot.
Most of the Rest Left the Neighborhood
Paul Brown Salons stayed closest of the rest. It reopened July 1 inside Style Loft on the ground floor of 1601 Kapiʻolani Blvd., an address the magazine lists as Kakaʻako. Several others reopened in established commercial areas around the island:
| Former Ward Centre tenant | Where it went |
|---|---|
| Nā Mea Hawaiʻi | Inside Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St. |
| Studio the Vibe | 620 Dillingham Blvd. |
| Crazy Shirts | Waikele Premium Outlets, 94-798 Lumiaina St., Suite 408 |
| Ali'i Coffee | Ala Moana Center, ground floor |
| Chong Qing Hot Pot | Closed at Ward; its Waikīkī restaurant at 1778 Ala Moana Blvd. stays open |
| Kids City Adventure | Ward location closed; Kapolei location at 480 Kamokila Blvd. continues |
Ali'i Coffee shows how far some of these moves went. It closed its Ward Centre and downtown locations at the same time, then opened at Ala Moana Center, where Honolulu Bistro used to be. That's still close for many people in Kakaʻako, but it's a trip across Ala Moana Boulevard and into a mall. You can't just grab a cup while parking for something else.
Some businesses kept going without a storefront. Taj Clubhouse closed its physical shop and now sells online only. Blue Bird Jewelry gave up its storefront and is focusing on pop-ups and events. Mu'umu'u Library & Kīpuka closed its Ward location in June. As of July, no new location had been announced.
The Ones Still Looking
A third group was still in limbo in July, and the latest reports haven't settled it. If you're waiting for one of these to come back, here's where each stood last:
- Fat Cheeks closed and was selling its equipment. Its Instagram told fans to "stay tuned." In September, Pacific Business News reported that the team had opened a new concept in the former Little G Cafe space, while the original restaurant was still looking for a new home.
- Try Coffee was searching for a new location, and its subscription program kept running.
- Blume Ruhm said it was moving to a new location but hadn't shared details. Online orders stayed open.
- Noa Noa closed its Ward boutique and was looking for new space. Its Waikīkī shop at 226 Lewers St., Suite 224, is still open.
- Mian & Bao planned to merge with its sister restaurant, Chengdu Taste, at 808 Sheridan St., Suite 209, in Kakaʻako, in July.
- Jewelry Plus planned to reopen in August at 700 Bishop St., Suite 114, downtown.
- BoxJelly hadn't announced any plans.
Until any of them reopen, the old Ward Centre errands that are still nearby run through the five businesses on Ward, Auahi and Waimanu.
What Fills the Site, and When
Ward Centre's footprint won't have shops again for years. Here's the order of events, using dates from Howard Hughes and local reporting:
- Now through early 2027. Demolition of Ward Centre, according to Johnstone.
- Construction of Melia and ʻIlima. Ground broke Sept. 28. ʻIlima is planned at 33 stories with 148 homes, and Melia at 35 stories with 221. Together they'll have about 20,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial and retail space.
- Ka Lei Park. It's a new public park on the site. Landscaped walkways will connect the IBM Building to it, according to a Ward Village announcement that Aloha State Daily cited.
The towers are designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, with AHL as local executive architect and VITA Planning & Landscape Architecture handling the landscape. The design takes cues from the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Alexander & Baldwin Building and the Dillingham Transportation Center.
So the next place to look for new storefronts is a block or two away. The Park Ward Village opened in June with more than 30,000 square feet of retail and dining space. That's more ground-floor space than the two new towers combined. In May, Ward Village announced two restaurants for The Park. Rigo is a new concept for the area. ʻĀina Bowls is tentatively set to open in March 2027.
The Coffee Gap Is Closing From Auahi Street
Coffee took the hardest hit this year. Ali'i Coffee's Ward Centre location was on HONOLULU Magazine's June closures list. 9bar HNL and Café Villamor's Kakaʻako location were on the July list. That's three coffee counters gone in about two months.
Most of what replaced them is on Auahi Street, close to the businesses that relocated:
- Mosa! opened Sept. 18 in 9bar's old space at 685 Auahi St. #118. It serves coffee and matcha alongside ice-cream desserts, Aloha State Daily reported.
- Cotti Coffee opened at 1000 Auahi St. the week of March 25 and held its grand opening March 27. Hawaii Lucky Group operates it, according to Ward Village's announcement.
- WESTMAN CAFE soft-opened at Kōʻula, also at 1000 Auahi St., by March 21 and serves brunch.
Ward Village's directory also lists Island Brew Coffeehouse at 1108 Auahi St., The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at 1170 Auahi St. and La Tour Café at 987 Queen St. The Coffee Bean shares 1170 Auahi with Kamitoku's new home, so ramen and coffee are at the same South Shore Market address.
All of these addresses point the same way. Between 1000 and 1170 Auahi, plus 320 and 610 Ward Avenue, Kakaʻako now has the ramen counter, the gym, the dog groomer, the used-book store and several coffee bars that Ward Centre used to hold in one place.
If you own near Ward Avenue or Auahi Street and want to know how the construction and the new storefronts could affect your building, Team Hawaii follows Kakaʻako closely, one address at a time. Let's Connect.
