The developer of a planned regional mall in East Kapolei said Nordic PCL will be the general contractor for an initial phase of the project slated to break ground in 12 to 18 months.

An affiliate of Florida-based DeBartolo Development LLC made the announcement yesterday but did not say what the first phase will include.

In March, a project official said the first phase likely would include a neighborhood community center and space for small retail businesses and offices, but likely not large-scale retailers.

The mall, dubbed Ka Makana Ali'i, is designed to be 1.5 million square feet at full buildout, with two business hotel towers and two office towers. The estimated cost of the project at the intersection of Kapolei Parkway and North-South Road is $500 million.

ISLES PITCHED AS SITE FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS

The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau and industry partners have launched a marketing effort to bring business meetings to Hawai'i.

Group sales professionals representing resorts, hotels and travel companies are banding together this week to conduct a coordinated telephone sales campaign.

"We have created a list of nearly 10,000 potential clients and our goal is to contact each one and sell them on the benefits and competitive advantages of booking Hawai'i for business meetings," said Michael Murray, HVCB's vice president of sales and marketing for corporate meetings and incentives.

VERIZON SPENT $28M ON NETWORK IN 2009

Verizon Wireless says it invested $28 million last year to upgrade its Hawai'i voice and data network.

A total of four new cell sites were installed in Hawai'i in 2009 to increase coverage and enhance 3G high-speed wireless services.

The company's ongoing network investment now totals more than $214 million in Hawai'i and more than $55 billion nationally over the past 10 years.

Verizon Wireless says it has the largest and most reliable wireless 3G network coverage area in the U.S.