Retail complex on Strip could be torn down next month

Hawaiian Marketplace, a shuttered retail complex on the Strip eyed for redevelopment, could soon be reduced to rubble.

The property’s landlord said in a court filing last month that “construction is imminent.” It will start building temporary fencing Aug. 1 and “begin demolishing structures” by Aug. 15, the filing said.

A teardown would not come as a surprise. New York investment firm Gindi Capital acquired Hawaiian Marketplace in 2019 as part of a 9.5-acre acquisition, and when it announced the purchase, it said it was working with its design and development teams to “unveil plans for a new flagship retail, entertainment and dining experience.”

Additional details about the plaza’s demolition and redevelopment could not be confirmed Monday.

The Review-Journal could not find any demolition applications or permits, or new project plans, through the Clark County Building Department’s online records system. The only recent permits issued for Gindi’s property appear to be for billboard dismantling, records show.

Efforts to speak with Gindi for this story were unsuccessful.

Gindi acquired Hawaiian Marketplace, which spans 80,000 square feet and sits on a 2.35-acre plot, as part of a $172 million purchase. The deal also included the neighboring Cable Center Shops, a low-slung retail complex.

Both properties are now closed.

The landlord disclosed the construction timeline in a lawsuit against a limited liability company that owned a business in Hawaiian Marketplace called Best Buds, Clark County records show.

According to the complaint, the landlord and tenant entered into a short-term lease last year that ran through September 2021 and then continued on a month-to-month basis, at which point either side could end the lease with 30 days’ written notice “for any or no reason.”

The landlord sent a notice of termination March 15, according to the lawsuit, which stated the tenant had to vacate by June 1.

According to the complaint, the tenant responded June 14 that it believed it was entitled to stay until construction had started at the property.

As of June 17, the tenant had still refused to move out, according to the complaint in Clark County District Court.

According to a court filing last month, the landlord has “imminent plans for redevelopment” of the property that “requires” the tenant to “vacate” the complex.

As seen last week, Best Buds was closed. Yellow caution tape attached to a row of orange cones stretching along Hawaiian Marketplace blocked access to the plaza, kiosks were closed, and a side entry to the property was barricaded.

Brandon Phillips, an attorney for Best Buds’ ownership, told the Review-Journal on Monday that as far as he knows, all of the businesses in Hawaiian Marketplace are now closed.

He also confirmed that Best Buds sold CBD products.

According to the Mayo Clinic, cannabidiol, or CBD, is a chemical found in marijuana, but it does not contain the psychoactive ingredient known as THC that produces a high.

Phillips said his client believed it had an agreement with the landlord to stay in the plaza until construction was ready to start. He noted that he also hadn’t seen construction permits for the site.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.