Leaders of surrounding communities and state officials, including Stadium Authority board members, say they are optimistic that Gov.-elect Josh Green will allow resumption of work on requests for proposals for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District when he takes office in December.

“I have no doubt that when Gov. Green takes over we’ll be in good hands,” said Chace Shigemasa, chair of the Aliamanu/Salt Lake/ Foster Village/Airport Neighborhood Board, which supports NASED.

Tonight, at the Aiea Neighborhood Board’s monthly meeting, the board and the Aiea Community Association plan to present a joint statement opposing Gov. David Ige’s rejection of the entertainment district plan. Ige instead promoted a stand-alone stadium plan to replace the original Aloha Stadium, which ceased hosting events after the Hula Bowl in January 2021.

Ige’s decision in September surprised many who had been working for years on the NASED public-private partnership plan.

“We do not approve of ‘a design-build, stand-alone stadium’ taken by Governor Ige,” a draft of the statement provided by Aiea board chair Stephen Wood says. “Our recommendation is to continue down the current path that has been established over several years of discussion between community members, community leaders, the City and County of Honolulu, the State Legislature, and the Stadium Authority. This process has allowed and will continue to allow an open dialogue in addressing cultural concerns not taken into account (when the original Aloha Stadium was built in the 1970s).”

Aiea Community Association President Claire Tamamoto, who is also a member of the Stadium Authority board, said, “I think it’s important that we voiced our support (for the NASED plans). We don’t always agree on everything, but we participate and at least the communities have a seat at the table.”

Stadium Authority board member Michael Yadao said, “Governor-elect Green has communicated his support for both the development of the stadium and the mixed-use retail and housing development surrounding the new stadium. I believe that we have a real partner in the governor-elect and am very excited for what we can accomplish together.”

Green, who takes office Dec. 5, has repeatedly said any development plan around the Halawa stadium must include affordable housing.

Housing is included in NASED plans formed with consultants and approved by community leaders over the past two years, said Chris Kinimaka, state public works administrator with the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Kinimaka was among the planners who met with Green between the primary and general elections, at which time Green asked them to revise the plans so stadium construction could start before the end of 2023.

The most recent estimate for the stadium opening is in time for the 2027 football season.

“I think with the dialogue we’ve had so far, we found that he engages and he listens,” Kinimaka said. “We had a two-way discussion, and he agreed we would look at ways where we can speed up the work (on the stadium), and we would identify areas where we can’t because it would introduce more risks to the project.

“I think the other refreshing thing with Gov.-elect Green is he really wants for communities to get connected. He also wants economic development and wants to build a stadium as quickly as possible.”

In September, Ige ordered a halt on preparation of a request for proposals for construction of the stadium itself and other projected NASED development.

He said he would announce a new plan in three weeks to build a stand-alone stadium using the $350 million (plus $50 million for ongoing maintenance) allotted by the state Legislature last session. Ige’s about-face meant stopping the public-private partnership NASED plan that had been in the works for two years, at a cost of $25 million in state funding.

In explaining his decision to drop the NASED plan in an Oct. 9 Honolulu Star-Advertiser guest column, Ige cited several reasons, including “lack of adequate infrastructure” and that the Legislature’s approved funding did not include an entertainment district.

Ige has yet to announce his replacement plan for building a stand-alone stadium.

However, his point person on the stadium, Mike McCartney, told the Star-Advertiser on Sunday that he, Ige, stadium manager Ryan Andrews and Brennon Morioka, Stadium Authority board deputy chair, are working on a memorandum of agreement “that will shed light on the most advantageous path forward.”

McCartney is Ige’s director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, which replaced DAGS last legislative session as the state agency with administrative oversight of the stadium.

“The governor’s office is finalizing a formal response to the Aliamanu/Salt Lake Neighborhood Board to address their questions and concerns,” McCartney also said.

McCartney was referring to concerns expressed in an Oct. 20 letter, signed by Shigemasa, from his board, complaining about lack of communication with the stadium’s surrounding communities about the administration’s abrupt change in direction.

After Ige’s decision in September, Green expressed his support for the NASED plan “as long as we can combine it with affordable housing.”

“We need to have housing on the front end, and fully integrated,” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, if we’re going to do it, do not delay,” Green added. “We have other projects for housing to integrate with it. Housing and sports … we need to go for it, without delays. Also because they will be economic drivers.”

On Wednesday, after the Democratic candidate’s landslide victory Tuesday, the governor-elect told the Star-Advertiser that he will review Ige’s decision’s regarding the stadium development within 30 days.

“I’m open-minded,” he said. “How do we move forward most intelligently?”