Suit seeks money back for downtown Galleria Shopping Center
By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer
Another participant in the failed retail redevelopment of the downtown Honolulu post office has sued one of the developers alleging that advance money was not returned after the project was canceled last year.
Advertiser library photo • June 15, 2000
Chevron TCI Inc., one of two firms that committed $18 million in equity financing to the project, filed suit yesterday against Harold Spector, director of project developer USPO Redevelopment Corp.
Plans for the Galleria Shopping Center, a redevelopment project at the downtown postal building, met a series of delays and eventually fell apart late last year.
The suit, filed in Hawai'i Circuit Court, charges that Chevron advanced USPO $99,108 for loan commitment costs in 1998, then USPO refused to repay the money after the project fell apart late last year.
Spector, a Hawai'i resident, was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Spector and USPO chief executive Russell Allen, who was not named in the suit, had worked since 1996 to transform the historic post office into the Galleria Shopping Center, a planned $54 million boutique retail development.
The project met a series of delays and eventually fell apart late last year.
At least three prospective tenants have sued USPO to recover deposits and other payments totaling at least $200,000. The federal government is now trying to sell the property.
