Hawaii Pacific University said today it has selected Barnes & Noble College to operate its bookstores, including a new store at Aloha Tower.

HPU was given approval by the state earlier this year to take over the Aloha Tower Marketplace, which it plans to use as retail space, dorm rooms and classrooms.

“We are pleased to have selected Barnes & Noble College and are particularly excited about what this will mean for our Aloha Tower project,” said Geoffrey Bannister, president of HPU.

The Barnes & Noble at the Aloha Tower will be on the first floor, in a 7,200-square-foot space previously occupied by Pipe Dreams Surf Company and facing Ala Moana Boulevard.

“The store is intended to be a hybrid, offering the best of the traditional Barnes & Noble experience along with merchandise both for college customers and tourists. An opening date is expected to be announced in coming weeks,” HPU said in a news release.

Barnes & Noble will take over operations at HPU’s Downtown and Hawaii Loa Campus bookstores in August before moving the Downtown Campus bookstore to Aloha Tower Marketplace in the upcoming 2013-14 school year, HPU said.

While Barnes & Noble College operates more than 700 campus stores nationwide, this will be its first higher education bookstore in Hawaii, HPU said.

Barnes & Noble has two stores on Oahu, at Kahala Mall and Ala Moana Center. The Kahala Mall store will be replaced with a Ross Dress for Less.