ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

Aloha Stadium closed four years ago, and people have learned to live without it. The general public’s support for a new Aloha Stadium has faded.

Yet, a few government agencies continue to push it. This scenario played out at a public hearing on at the State Capitol recently.

The bill would stop the existing $350-plus million in funding for a new Aloha Stadium. It would also appropriate $211 million to upgrade the stadium on the UH Manoa campus.

The public showed little interest in the bill, one way or the other. At the hearing only two members of the public testified on the bill, and both supported it, meaning that they voiced opposition to the new Aloha Stadium.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I was one of them.)

Three state agencies testified against the bill, and one agency submitted comments. Nobody from the general public opposed the bill, so public support for the new Aloha Stadium was nonexistent at the hearing.

The old Aloha Stadium was built primarily for UH football, which at one time filled the stadium with enthusiastic fans.

Empty Seats

But attendance has been declining for years, and college football has been restructured to favor big football programs. UH and the other smaller football programs face a future of lower attendance and lower income.

After the old Aloha Stadium closed, UH built its own stadium on the Manoa campus. Although relatively small, the UH stadium has proven to be large enough to accommodate the fans who attend football games, as there are always empty seats at games.

The UH stadium was intended to be temporary, and HB 2664 appropriates funds to make it permanent.

Many people are opposed to a new Aloha Stadium because they compare it with another big public works project — rail. They foresee a series of financial troubles and delays.

A state agency testifying in support of a new Aloha Stadium said that the money that has already been spent on the project would be wasted if it did not continue. However, if the new stadium is no longer viable, that would be throwing good money after bad.

Although not testifying at the hearing, advocates for a new stadium claim that it would generate enough income from concerts, professional soccer, professional rugby, and other events. However, it costs money to hold an event.

Soccer and rugby can be expected to draw so few people that every game would result in a financial loss.

The people of Hawaii need affordable housing much more than a new Aloha Stadium. State and county housing agencies have figured out how to build affordable housing by employing innovative financing techniques and by using state or county land.

The Aloha Stadium site is state land. It should be repurposed for lots of affordable housing, integrated with housing at all income levels, within easy walking distance of grocery stores, restaurants, shops, offices, parks, and other urban amenities.

The need for personal vehicles could be minimized because the site is adjacent to a rail station. The project should be environmentally friendly, and it could be a model for the future.

HB 2664 has been passed by the House and is being considered by the Senate. The Legislature should pass the bill and begin to re-envision the Aloha Stadium site to incorporate lots of affordable housing.