Naming rights plan for Blaisdell Center under Council review

A plan for the city-owned Neal S. Blaisdell Center to become a greater source of nontax-based revenue for the city and county is underway.

To that end, Honolulu City Council’s Resolution 50 urges the city Department of Enterprise Services to pursue the sponsorship of naming rights for the entertainment venue at 777 Ward Ave.

Typically, naming rights means the city may grant individuals or organizations the opportunity to have their names associated with a facility, like a stadium or arena, in exchange for financial contributions.

The Blaisdell Center, originally called the Honolulu International Center, was built in 1964.

“The Blaisdell is the city’s premiere event host site due to its variety of individual venues, convenient central location, and available parking inventory and has hosted an extensive variety of events, from world renowned concert tours and Broadway productions to trade shows, graduations, cultural performances, and sporting events,” Resolution 50 states.

“Such a sponsorship would provide the city with an alternate revenue stream and thus enable it to make much needed upgrades and modernization improvements to the more than 60-year-old Blaisdell and increase services offered to users and the community at large,” the legislation indicates.

As an example, the resolution notes in 2020 the University of Hawaii and the Bank of Hawaii entered into a 10-year, $5 million sponsorship agreement for the naming rights of the Stan Sheriff Center — now known as the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center — at UH’s Manoa campus.

Per that agreement, the UH Athletics Department purportedly receives funds over the course of 10 years, ending in 2030 “and decides how best to utilize the funds to improve UH athletic serv­ices and address budget challenges,” the legislation states.

“Sponsorship agreements, such as BOH’s sponsorship agreement with the UH, illustrate the potential for the city to create alternate revenue streams that would increase the city’s ability to deliver services and to maintain city assets, including city facilities, parks, programs, equipment and other property, all while avoiding increased financial burdens on residents,” the resolution states.

DES, which operates and maintains the Blaisdell Center, the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, the Honolulu Zoo and six municipal golf courses, is the only city department with an operating budget primarily funded by revenues generated from public events and activities, the agency states.

During the Council’s Committee on Innovation meeting Feb. 13, DES Director-designate Dita Holifield said her department was excited to pursue this revenue-generating opportunity to improve the Blaisdell campus.

“We are in full support of this idea and the intent of (Resolution 50),” she said.

But Holifield noted that based on discussions with the city Department of the Corporation Counsel, existing city laws do not currently allow for the sponsorship of naming rights.

“However, I will go to the ends of the world to figure out how to make this happen for everybody,” she proclaimed. “I am more than excited about all of these opportunities, and I have a lot of experience in all the different types of sponsorships where there are events or advertising or naming rights, etcetera, etcetera.”

“So you can count on 100% support from us,” she added. “Just turn me loose and I’m ready to go.”

In response, Council member Augie Tulba — who co-sponsored Resolution 50 with Council Chair Tommy Waters — said the potential passage of Bill 4, related legislation that seeks to allow private sponsorship of city parks and other public facilities, could benefit this resolution.

As drafted, Bill 4 — introduced in January by Council member Radiant Cordero — would seek to “create and enhance public-private relationships, including with individuals, corporations, and other organizations, through the creation of commercial sponsorships.”

In appreciation of such support, the measure states it’s “the policy of the city to equitably acknowledge the contribution of private sponsors.”

If adopted, the new bill would allow the director of a city agency to enter into a sponsorship agreement, but only for a term of less than five years, with a financial contribution of less than $50,000.

However, Bill 4 has already received pushback from the community.

Winston Welch, executive director of The Outdoor Circle, objected to the measure’s potential violations of state signage laws that prohibit large, view-obstructing outdoor signage and billboards — like those readily found on the mainland — to be placed around the Hawaiian Islands.

On Feb. 11 the Council’s Budget Committee recommended a committee draft of Bill 4 be passed on to the full Council for possible second reading review and adoption. The Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

At the Feb. 13 Innovation Committee meeting, Tulba, chair of the panel, said he was “excited about the passing of Bill 4 so that we can really (go) full throttle.”

Council member Esther Kia‘aina was also excited over the prospects of Resolution 50 and its possible benefit toward Blaisdell Center. “Just three words: ‘Go get ’em,’” she declared.

In response, Holifield said the city wanted “to be very intentional” in proceeding on this naming rights plan.

“So anytime that we ask for an investment, a return on investment is expected,” she added. “That’s the only word of caution, but I do have a lot of experience, so I’m not going to let anything bad happen to us whatsoever.”

The committee eventually reported Resolution 50 out for full Council adoption.

In November 2023 the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena reopened following a $9 million renovation that began earlier that year. The renovation included new energy-efficient lighting, new restroom facilities and safety improvements.

The arena renovation is part of a $43.6 million project for renovations to the entire 22.4-acre Blaisdell Center campus, overseen by the city Department of Design and Construction and DES.