"Renovated Cannery Retains Historic Charm"

The Gentry Pacific Design Center in Iwilei, Honolulu's one-stop shopping center for home construction, renovation and home furnishings, is itself a marvelous example of what is possible with good design and expert renovation.

The Center, at 560 N. Nimitz Hwy., was originally the American Can Co. factory. The historic building was constructed in the early 1930's to make cans for nearby Coke and Del Monte canneries. American Can Co. stopped making cans there in the early 70's, but sale of the building and its five-acre landscaped property was tied up in court until 1985 when Gentry Pacific, a real estate development firm, was able to purchase it for a little less than $8 million.

At the time Gentry Pacific Vice President Joe Fadrowsky indicated that the developer, Tom Gentry, expected to spend more than $3 million to renovate the property. " We're going to create a mixed-use building that is visually pleasing, retains historic charm, and makes use of the very high ceilings," Fadrowsky said.  They did.

The American Can main building has two primary floors and a smaller third floor, totaling roughly 180,000 square feet.

In the 70's and early '80s, the property was rented to a mixed lot of tenants. All of these were gone when Gentry Pacific took over the property. Renovations included a new paint job, restoration of the windows, a general facelift to the Nimitz Highway side of the property, and additional parking.  Tom Gentry's vision became a reality.

The Center is open to the public. It includes a unique blend of specialty shops including a restaurant with a wine shop and is a popular place for lunch.  Visit the Gentry Pacific Design Center. There is something for everyone.