Big tent at Ward to feature 156,000 square feet of fun
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Many passing by the new Ward Entertainment Center on Auahi Street yesterday were scratching their heads, wondering what was that massive tent-like feature that was erected Sunday.
A construction worker gazes out from atop the canopy installed over the Grand Staircase. Its ripples might resemble snow that is coating a mountain peak right now, but eventually the canopy is expected to look as smooth as ice.
The beige material is a canopy over the grand staircase that leads to the $40 million, 156,000-square-foot entertainment complex. The canopy is made of Kevlar — the same material used to make bulletproof vests. It covers 12,000 square feet and weighs 5,000 pounds.
Dana Harvey, spokeswoman for developer Victoria Ward Ltd., said the canopy may look frumpy now, but that the fabric needs time to settle.
"Right now it looks like it came straight out of the dryer. But once we straighten it out and everything is taut, it'll be really cool," Harvey said. "In the evening we'll light it so it'll kind of glow. It's kind of our crowning glory."
The grand staircase will lead to Consolidated Theatres' 16-screen megaplex, set to open May 25. The complex is the centerpiece of the entertainment center.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Four theaters will feature 500 seats and 70-foot screens, which are comparable in size to the screens at Waikiki Theater. Seating for the entire complex will be about 4,000, Harvey said.
Underneath the tent at Auahi and Kamakee streets lies the Grand Staircase to the Ward Entertainment Center at at Auahi and Kamakee streets.
Construction on shops and restaurants won't be completed until the end of summer, Harvey said. One of the anchor tenants will be Dave & Buster's, a popular entertainment and sports bar.
Harvey said the center will have 450 parking stalls. She said that, coupled with the 2,200 stalls throughout the various Victoria Ward shopping centers and the additional 1,200 stalls that Victoria Ward will provide at various lots during peak periods, there should be adequate parking.
