Estimates of when a new facility could be opened for business currently revolve around '24GETTY IMAGES
Hawaii Gov. David Ige has "signed into law legislation to begin funding a replacement for deteriorating Aloha Stadium," according to Ferd Lewis of the HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER. The stadium will shortly begin its 45th football season, and some officials said that "estimates of when a new facility could be opened for business" currently revolve around '24, depending on "details of planned public-private partnerships." Hawaii Department of Accounting & General Services Comptroller & Dir Curt Otaguro said that work on an environmental impact statement and master plan has "already begun and could be completed in 18 months." After that comes an RFP from "prospective developers of the 98.6-acre Halawa site, which is to be known as the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and overseen by the Stadium Authority and the Hawaii Community Development Authority." The legislation provides for $350M to go toward the new stadium. While land adjacent to the current stadium has been the preferred site for the new stadium, officials said that "could change to elsewhere in the general footprint depending on the eventual partners in the deal" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 7/9).
BIGGER IS BETTER: The STAR-ADVERTISER's Lewis notes Aloha Stadium "expects to debut a new, larger, more vibrant JumboTron" in time for the Aug. 17 Rams-Cowboys preseason game. The Daktronics LED board in the north end zone will "measure 74 feet by 20 feet, up from the current 60×19." Two advertising panels are to be "removed to accommodate the wider screen." Aloha Stadium Manager Scott Chan said that the cost of about $800,000 is being "picked up" by IMG College, the stadium’s new advertising-rights holder, as part of its winning bid on the five-year contract last month (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 7/10).
