JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Above is a portion of McCarthy Mall under construction at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
1 /4 JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Above is a portion of McCarthy Mall under construction on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII Upcoming improvements to UH-Manoa’s McCarthy Mall include more covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH says will give local, commuting students more reason to stay on campus between classes. Source: University of Hawaii 2/4 COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII Upcoming improvements to UH-Manoa’s McCarthy Mall include more covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH says will give local, commuting students more reason to get between classes by staying on campus. Source: University of Hawaii WITH COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII An architectural rendering shows a new 65,000-square-foot building and its covered porch, designed to provide better access to the popular McCarthy Mall and better blend students with different degrees.
3 /4 WITH COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII An architectural rendering shows a new 65,000-square-foot building and covered porch, designed to provide greater access to the popular McCarthy Mall and better blend students with different degrees.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Upcoming improvements to the University of Hawaii’s McCarthy Mall at Manoa campus, pictured above Wednesday, include covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH hopes will encourage local commuter students to to stay on campus between classes.
4 /4 JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Upcoming improvements to the University of Hawaii’s McCarthy Mall at Manoa campus, pictured above Wednesday, include covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH hopes will help local commuter students encourage you to stay on campus between classes.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Above is a portion of McCarthy Mall under construction at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII Upcoming improvements to UH-Manoa’s McCarthy Mall include more covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH says will give local, commuting students more reason to stay on campus between classes. Source: University of Hawaii WITH COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII An architectural rendering shows a new 65,000-square-foot building and its covered porch, designed to provide better access to the popular McCarthy Mall and better blend students with different degrees.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Upcoming improvements to the University of Hawaii’s McCarthy Mall at Manoa campus, pictured above Wednesday, include covered seating with power and improved Wi-Fi that UH hopes will encourage local commuter students to to stay on campus between classes.
The University of Hawaii at Manoa will begin work as early as January and says it will transform the “heart” of the campus by making the already popular tree-lined McCarthy Mall even more accessible while creating a five-story building that is designed to help students from different disciplines mingle and mingle.
Additional seating in the mall, including tables and individual Adirondack-style chairs, has electricity.
Along with stronger Wi-Fi, the new building and mall will give local UH commuter students in particular reasons to stay at McCarthy Mall rather than leave campus between classes, said Brian Strawn, UH’s director of planning and spatial experience.
“It will certainly give commuters a reason to stay,” Strawn said.
Surveys of existing UH students and during a dozen visits by potential students and their families consistently found that “McCarthy Mall was the favorite place,” he said.
“It’s the green space,” Strawn said. ‘It’s the alley full of monkey trees and grass. During lunch it is full and students look for a spot in the shade.”
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The 366-metre-long shopping center – the length of three football fields including end zones – runs from Varney Circle to East-West Center Road on the mauka side of campus.
Manoa’s popular Campus Center, closer to the makai side of campus, offers food, Starbucks, and outdoor seating.
But it’s not the same experience as studying or eating under a tree or on the lawn of McCarthy Mall, Strawn said.
That is why there are plans to widen the shopping center. Currently the widest areas are 30 feet, but they could expand to as much as 50 feet, Strawn said.
Better drainage also means it’s less likely to get wet while you’re sitting on the lawn, he said.
The as yet unnamed building will rise on the site of the dilapidated, 59-year-old Snyder Hall, which was razed in July 2021.
The site is close to where a sudden flood of mud and water flooded UH 20 years ago and damaged 30 buildings.
The new building will include a covered portal designed to divert any future flooding away from the building while making it easier for people to enter and exit the mall “from all sides,” Strawn said.
The portal area will also offer coffee, vending machines and takeaway food, he said.
The project is budgeted at $88 million for the building and $16.64 million for upgrades to McCarthy Mall and Paradise Palms, which offer a variety of restaurants and indoor dining options but not enough seating to meet mealtime demand .
In a statement, UH Vice President for Governance Jan Gouveia said, “We are incredibly grateful to the Hawai ‘i State Legislature for their continued support of this groundbreaking project. Their commitment to higher education makes it possible to create modern, collaborative spaces that will enhance the learning experience for both our students and teachers. This project will help shape the future of UH Manoa and cultivate a vibrant, innovative campus for generations to come.”
Each floor of the new building will serve a different purpose, but with the overall intention of bringing together a broader mix of students whose areas of study may require more or less classroom space in the future as demand increases or decreases.
In general, Strawn said, “students want more cross-pollination.”
Two floors will provide classrooms for a mix of disciplines, two will be dedicated to the College of Education and the top one will be dedicated to Pacific and Asian studies.
There will be a covered lanai on the second floor. Large windows offer views of the shopping center and Manoa Valley.
And 25% of the building’s energy will come from a photovoltaic system on the roof.
Significantly, the College of Education will be able to move from its remote location off the main campus, allowing students and faculty to mingle with students pursuing a range of majors in the same building, according to Manoa Chancellor Michael Bruno.
“From many different perspectives, this project will be transformative for the university,” said Bruno.
Covering 65,000 square meters, he said, the new building will represent “one of the largest buildings on the Manoa campus and certainly one of the most modern in its design and approach to an education and exhibition environment with modern classrooms, with industry-leading edge technology, with collaboration spaces for students and teachers.”
There will be open study spaces as well as private, reservable rooms for private study groups or faculty consulting.
If not already, Bruno says the new building, improved mall and more electric chairs will make McCarthy Mall “the signature space on campus.”
As construction begins, timelines, architectural renderings and details of the improvements will be posted so the campus community and prospective students and their families can see what they can expect next for their favorite spot on campus.
Details will be available this spring, in time for campus tours by potential students.
The new building is expected to open in time for the fall 2027 semester, Strawn said.
“It’s pretty good there now,” he said. “It gets even better.”
