The land under the Hawaii Tribune-Herald newspaper building in Hilo and an adjacent property has been acquired for $3.7 million by Giampaolo Boschetti of San Francisco, according to state records. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald is owned by Oahu Publications Inc., which also owns the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Oahu Publications sold the two properties Nov. 23. The company bought the properties in 2014 for $2.87 million, according to state records.
Oahu Publications will continue to own and operate the Tribune-Herald and lease back the property from Boschetti.
Barnwell gets $2.3M land payment
Barnwell Industries Inc. said Thursday it received just more than $2.3 million from the recent sale of the second of two large lots in North Kona. The Honolulu-based company has a 19.6 percent indirect ownership in the Kukio Resort land development partnerships, which owns development rights interests in the Kukio, Maniniowali and Kaupulehu portions of Kukio Resort.
The Limited closing its stores
WASHINGTON >> More grim news for malls came Friday as apparel retailer The Limited said it will close all its brick-and-mortar stores at the end of this weekend.
The company says it will continue to operate online only after Sunday’s closures. A spokesman said the Ohio-based chain operated about 250 retail stores in 2016 and that about 4,000 jobs would be lost. (There are no stores in Hawaii.)
ON THE MOVE
>> Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association has appointed hospitality industry veteran Dean T. Nakasone as their vice president, as of Jan. 17, 2017. He was previously the general manager of Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort. Prior to that, Nakasone headed the Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort and Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber.
>> Ala Moana Hotel has appointed Edison Villaver to assistant housekeeper of the hotel’s housekeeping department. He will be responsible for payroll, scheduling, training, supervision as well as overseeing safety procedures and best practices. Villaver has nearly 30 years of hospitality industry experience and previously held various hotel positions in Las Vegas and Hawaii.
>> ProjectFocus Hawaii, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use photography as a way to enrich the lives of at risk youths and adults, has announced that Cecily A. Ching has joined their board of directors. She is currently the vice president and manager of the Trust Real Estate Services department at First Hawaiian Bank.
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Correction: Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association has appointed hospitality industry veteran Dean T. Nakasone as their vice president, not president as stated in an earlier version of this report and in the Saturday print edition. Mufi Hannemann is president and chief executive of HLTA.