As Scott Chan, Aloha Stadium manager, described the latest change of events: “It’s an exciting time for the state of Hawaii.”
Chan was quoted in an Oct. 2 news story by Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Andrews Gomes, announcing that after more than a decade of negotiations, the state of Hawaii is now able to redevelop the 100-acre stadium site.
The key word is develop, because since the early days of former Mayor Frank Fasi, Aloha Stadium has been a coveted piece of property. Not for playing ball, but for building and creating a new Honolulu destination complex.
It is one of two major chances the state has to be the big positive force that shapes and changes what Oahu looks like and how it grows.
The other big shot the state has is doing something with the Oahu Community Correctional Center in Kalihi. Moving the jail and freeing up that state land could also be a major shift.
There is more than $5 million is planning money already applied to doing something with redesigning Kalihi.
“With the possible relocation of the OCCC from its current location in Kalihi, Gov. Ige seeks a renaissance for Kalihi,” said the state Office of Planning as it announced a series of community meetings.
The area is just waiting to be planned right. There are calls for senior housing, the rail line is all but guaranteed to hit the sweet spot next to the planned Middle Street station, and besides, Kalihi is all about being a Democrat in Hawaii.
Both Ben Cayetano and George Ariyoshi based successful campaigns for governor around their Kalihi roots.
To be honest, not too many politicians describe themselves as the kid from Halawa or Salt Lake — but the Aloha Stadium site also oozes potential.
Sitting almost at the junction of H-1 and H-3, just down from Honolulu International Airport and overlooking Pearl Harbor, the stadium sits just where something big should happen.
A 2015 study recommends a “sports and entertainment district” with a new stadium, restaurants, retail, housing and possibly hotel and office use.
The Star-Advertiser article adds that the site could contain “1,500 to 2,000 homes and 75,000 square feet of restaurants and retail along with other sports and entertainment attractions that perhaps could replace Blaisdell Center.”
The rail line already runs by the stadium, although the area still awaits the rail station. It also is waiting on developers who are willing to push forward real plans to develop the area.
In the end, for both Kalihi and the stadium, the reality comes down to parsing the hopes and dreams.
With its $5 million in planning, Kalihi is setting itself up with lots of hopes. Planning for Kalihi is already an urban redevelopment mini-industry.
The stadium land could be the great hope for new development next to Honolulu’s tired Pearl City neighborhoods.
And it is the opportunity Ige needs to be that kid from Pearl City who actually takes those nebulous political hopes and dreams and says, “Parks, shopping centers, schools, scores of housing projects, you can have it all.”
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.
