Friday, June 27, 2014

Aloha Stadium to go aloha?

Aloha Stadium's current 50,000 seating capacity would decrease by 30 percent to 40 percent if the recommendation of a consultant hired to study the facility's future is adopted.

Foley & Lardner LLP, a New York law firm, recommended "a new 30,000- to 35,000-seat stadium on the lower portion of the stadium site," as part of a 35-page comprehensive site summary unanimously accepted Thursday by the Aloha Stadium Authority.

Authority Chairman Charles Toguchi said, "While the summary includes observations and recommendations from Foley & Lardner, the Stadium Authority has not made any definitive decisions regarding the future of Aloha Stadium, as we look forward to analyzing the summary and soliciting feedback from the public."

Toguchi said, "The purpose of the summary is to provide the Stadium Authority with facts and stakeholder opinions so that we can make informed decisions about the future of Aloha Stadium."

The Halawa facility, which marks its 39th year of operation in September, has undergone numerous renovations, and the report said that the Department of Accounting and General Services "estimates approximately $120 million in high priority health and safety improvements are needed to keep the stadium operational for the next five to 10 years." The study said a new stadium could "save the state between $2.4 million and $3.2 million per year in operating expenses alone."

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