The state has chosen two finalists for its long-term, public-private partnership to build, operate and maintain the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED). Now’s the time to rev up investments in public participation and brainpower, as the state must determine how to squeeze the most public value out of this ambitious, once-in-a lifetime project.
Years of study, proposal development and political debate have been invested on whether and how to get a new stadium built. On March 29, the state announced its choice of two finalist teams — ahead of deadline, in what appeared to be a warning off of the Legislature against tampering with the current course.
The public now must keep attention focused and have its say on desired details of the Halawa build-out, before contracts are signed and a path forward is firmly set. Sept. 30 is the target date for naming the winning development team, with final terms of a contractual agreement targeted for June 30, 2025, with demolition of the existing stadium to follow.
Finalists have until July 31 to submit proposals — but before that, a public “community engagement conference” has been set for May 6 at the site of the existing Aloha Stadium, with representatives of each finalist team available to make their case for being the best choice and answer questions. Those with opinions about what these proposals must include would be well-advised to start participating.
A new stadium is expected to be operational for the 2028 University of Hawaii football season — and in a spot of unexpected good news, proposals indicate some housing could also be completed in this time frame. The full NASED project on 98 acres of state land is to be built out over 30 years. Certain features should be non-negotiable:
>> A majority of the housing units contemplated must be affordable for low- to median-income households. These are families now doubling up or living in inadequate properties, who may find themselves at risk of homelessness as housing costs rise. Next in priority: households earning 100% to 140% or less of median income, filling a growing void for workforce housing serving Hawaii’s nurses, teachers and first responders.
>> The overall development must include amenities useful to middle-class and working families, including supermarkets and drug stores, medical offices and daycare centers as well as restaurants, retail and entertainment venues. Open space must include playgrounds, sports fields and dog parks, but other opportunities for outdoor recreation such as community gardens, skateboard parks and bike tracks should also be incorporated.
>> Attention must be paid to traffic and parking patterns, avoiding roadway bottlenecks and overflow burdens on the new and existing community, while also encouraging use of the Skyline to attend stadium events and to commute to and from Halawa.
>> Stadium users should expect that this public-private partnership will produce a facility that includes features now considered basic, such as shade and rain cover, individual seats, sufficient locker-room space — and Wi-Fi.
The state is making a big investment in a public stadium and in NASED, to ensure that Hawaii has a suitable venue for not only college and high school football but also exhibition games, other sports, touring entertainment events and high-interest local gatherings. The stadium is an investment in the state’s quality of life; so is the imperative that area build-up come with abundant affordable housing, as the state-owned property is ideally suited for transit-oriented development, writ large.
The two finalists to develop NASED both include entities with stadium and mixed-development experience, capable of delivering the assets Hawaii needs. With May’s community meeting, and at each additional opportunity along the timeline, public involvement and scrutiny to hold the state and its chosen partner to account for doing so will be key to assuring necessary public benefits are delivered, and worthy of the costs.
