Investors plan $10M restoration to Chinatown building

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HONOLULU — A group of investors is planning a $10 million restoration to an iconic building in Honolulu’s historic Chinatown district that involves opening a restaurant and boutique hotel.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports details of the project were published last week in an environmental assessment by the state, outlining plans to restore and reuse the three-story Wo Fat building.

Mighty Wo Fat, a partnership led by Texas real estate investor John Davenport and involving former University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones, is undertaking the project.

Plans for the 80-year-old building include a restaurant, bar, coffee bar and up to 24 hotel rooms. If a hotel isn’t viable, the rooms could become dormitory housing.

Depending on the progression of the plans, work could begin in April and completed by January 2020.