HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

25

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII DO A STUDY TO DeTERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEMOLISHING ALOHA STADIUM AND CONSTRUCTING A NEW STADIUM on OAHU.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, Aloha Stadium was first opened to the public on September 12, 1975; and

 

     WHEREAS, while Aloha Stadium has been plagued with structural defects and other problems from its opening day, it has served the people of Hawaii well as a venue for many memorable sporting and entertaining events over its near thirty-two year life-span; and

 

     WHEREAS, a planning study by the local firm of Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, published in December 2005, looked at the long-range prospects for the improvement of Aloha Stadium to continue serving the people of Hawaii into the future; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Wiss study estimated that the Aloha Stadium would require $99,000,000 in short-term improvements, including $29,000,000 for repairs to structural defects and corrosion protection, $26,000,000 for repairing seating areas, and an additional $44,000,000 to meet a shortage of three hundred and two toilets in the women's bathrooms, to bring the stadium into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other immediately needed improvements; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Wiss report went on to state that beyond the initial $99,000,000, an additional $115,000,000 in improvements would be needed to extend the useful life of Aloha Stadium for another twenty to thirty years; and

 

     WHEREAS, a total expenditure of $214,000,000 will only extend the useful life of the Aloha Stadium twenty to thirty years; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is time to look at a long-term solution for the needs of the people of Hawaii and not continue applying band-aids to the problems of an aging stadium at exorbitant costs; and

 

     WHEREAS, approximately half of the one hundred acres that the Aloha Stadium presently occupies was granted to the City and County of Honolulu by the United States government and, in turn, granted to the State with a condition that the land was to be used for public recreational purposes; and

 

     WHEREAS, the land beneath Aloha Stadium, due to its location, topography, proximity to public highways, and the availability of infrastructure necessary for development, would be ideal for the development of affordable housing and other mixed-uses; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the President of the University of Hawaii is requested to undertake a preliminary study using, to the extent practicable, personnel and resources at the University of Hawaii, to consider the:

 

     (1)  Demolition of Aloha Stadium;

 

     (2)  Redevelopment of the present Aloha Stadium site, through public or public and private partnership efforts, for affordable housing and other mixed-uses, following discussions with the appropriate federal agencies and the City and County of Honolulu on the removal of the condition that the present Aloha Stadium site must be used for public recreational purposes; and

 

     (3)  Development of a new stadium, publicly or privately on a lease-back or turn-key basis, on Oahu, to be operated and managed by the University of Hawaii.

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of the University of Hawaii is requested to submit to the Legislature, not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008, a preliminary report to include the following:

 

     (1)  A preliminary timetable for:

 

         (A)  The salvaging and demolition of Aloha stadium;

 

         (B)  The redevelopment of the Aloha stadium site for affordable housing and other mixed-uses; and

 

         (C)  The development of the new stadium;

 

     (2)  A list of potential sites for the new stadium on Oahu and a conceptual site and development plan for the development of the new stadium, along with proposals for the public or private development of the stadium;

 

     (3)  A conceptual site and development plan for the housing and mixed-use development of the Aloha Stadium site, along with proposals for the public or private development of the site;

 

     (4)  The preliminary estimated costs for:

 

         (A)  The salvaging and demolition of Aloha Stadium;

 

         (B)  The housing and mixed-use development of the Aloha Stadium site; and

 

         (C)  The development of the new stadium, including the   costs of all necessary infrastructure to serve the new facility;

 

     (5)  A preliminary real estate appraisal of a vacant Aloha Stadium site; and

 

     (6)  A report on the status of the discussions with the city and county of Honolulu and the responsible federal agencies on the removal of the condition in the deed to the city and county of Honolulu and the State that the Aloha Stadium site must be used for public recreational purposes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

University of Hawaii; Aloha Stadium