DeBartolo Development has established itself as an icon in developing retail shopping malls throughout America. Today, the DeBartolo family’s legacy of excellence began in the mid 1940s when Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., would change retail forever by developing the first-ever enclosed shopping mall. By the 1970s, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation had achieved assets estimated at nearly $1 billion, which included the world’s largest regional shopping center at that time. Two years after going public, DeBartolo merged with Simon Property Group, Inc., uniting two of the founding families of the regional mall business and creating the largest public real estate company in North America with a total capitalization of $7.5 billion.
DeBartolo Development opened its first retail complex center on Oahu on Friday, October 21, 2016. Named Ka Makana Ali‘i, which means “the royal gift” in Hawaiian, is truly a “gift” to the residents of the State of Hawaii, which has not had a new retail shopping center for the last 30 years. This new mixed-use shopping mall will be nestled in Oʻahu’s “Second City” in Kapolei, located within minutes of Hawai‘i’s fastest growing communities and will serve as a central gathering place for all of West O‘ahu.
On October 21, 2016, Ka Makana Aliʻi debut the completion of its first of three phases with planned festivities where residents and visitors alike will delight in enjoying more than 150 exciting shopping, dining and entertainment offerings, two hotels and LEED-certified office space.
Ka Makana Aliʻi, which is a partnership between DeBartolo Development and the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, will financially support programs benefiting Native Hawaiian interests statewide for decades to come.
The Honolulu City Council of the City and County of Honolulu takes great pride in recognizing and congratulating DeBartolo Development on the occasion of its grand opening of Ka Makana Aliʻi located in Kapolei, for improving the quality of life for Leeward residents, and extends its sincere mahalo and aloha to the DeBartolo Development’s family and staff for continued success in all their future endeavors.
