January is always down because it's after Christmas. So from our point of view, things are looking up. Much of the anticipated increases in occupancy and customer traffic are expected to be from the theaters. In another entertainment push, the mall starting Sunday will be the site for filming a new local game show to be televised on KHON Channel 2 for 26 weeks starting April 8. Herman-Santos said mall merchants are being allowed to get involved by providing goods and services such as hair styling, clothing and food for production crew personnel and contestants as a form of promotional product placement.
Restaurants are another area the mall wants to improve.
One national chain is in the final stages of negotiation, although officials declined to give details. Excluding the theaters, the restaurant is one of four tenants representing 20,000 square feet of space that will boost occupancy and help attract shoppers, if leases are finalized. A new look is also in the works for the center, which was built in the 1970s. Possibly as early as the second half of next year, the mall could get a facelift provided Kamehameha Schools grants a renovation request. Community benefit Improving attractions at Windward O'ahu's dominant mall is expected to help the community by recapturing local consumer spending lost to Leeward businesses.