Work on a new $400m stadium complex in Hawaii could begin by early 2023 according to a new plan released by state authorities.
The New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) will include a new 35,000-seat stadium to replace the mothballed 50,000-capacity Aloha Stadium. Some pro sports leagues — including the United Soccer League and Major League Rugby — have already expressed interest in using the proposed stadium.
The state will set aside $170m for the entire 100-acre project, with the stadium accounting for around a quarter of that area. It has notified three developers who want to contract the project that a request for proposals will be issued December 15.
The three qualified bidders – Aloha Stadium District Partners, Aloha Stadium Hui Hilina‘I and Waiola Development Partners – will be asked to design, finance and build the new stadium as well as maintain it to “suitable standards” for 30 years at an agreed-upon price. The Stadium Authority, a state agency that manages Aloha Stadium, would manage the new stadium.
The three teams will be asked to submit plans with designs and costs only for a new stadium, though they could submit separate bids for what DAGS is calling the real estate portion of what is envisioned to become the NASED with homes, hotel rooms, retail and other commercial uses.
Chris Kinimaka, public works administrator for DAGS, said in a statement that it is satisfying to notify the three finalists about the release date of the request for proposals for the job to replace the 46-year-old Aloha Stadium.
“The issuance of the NASED Stadium Project RFP will mark another progressive milestone for the creation of a vibrant live-work-play-thrive district with a multiuse stadium serving as the centerpiece,” she said.
A request for qualifications and rough ideas pertaining to the real estate portion of the project was published last month, and construction could begin in late 2022 or early 2023 after more detailed bids are sought and a winner is selected.
The existing Aloha Stadium, built in the 1970s, was closed last year due to chronic rust problems and deferred maintenance.
Image: Crawford Architects
