The still-incomplete was considered for a conversion to be the Navy's first guided-missile cruiser; this thought lasted until 26 February 1952, when a different conversion to a "large command ship" was contemplated. In anticipation of the conversion, her classification was changed to CBC-1. This would have made her a "larger sister" to , but a year and a half later (9 October 1954) she was re-designated CB-3. "Hawaii" was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 June 1958 and was sold for scrap in 1959.