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Just over a year ago this month, members of the Aloha Stadium Authority and stadium staff left a state Capitol hearing in frustration after a bill they championed for the facility’s future failed in five tries to make it out of committee.
While one measure was passed, it was the second year in succession that a bill deemed important to helping move forward planning for a new facility died at the end of session.
What backers ended up doing about it helped open the way for the landmark legislation that awaits Gov. David Ige’s signature in June.
Instead of basing their case for a stadium replacement largely on football, the stadium re-doubled its efforts to bring in a wider menu of entertainment events to showcase its importance beyond sports. It was not coincidence that a push — and a little luck — helped land one of the most star-studded concert lineups in the facility’s soon-to-be 45-year history.
In addition, officials went increasingly public about the rapidly deteriorating state of the facility, hiring a public relations firm and releasing reports and graphic photos of the accumulating corrosion.
They also won backing of some key lawmakers, and the result was wider legislative and public support for a project with a $350 million price tag.
“There was a lot of support and momentum for this bill,” said Rep. Sylvia Luke (D, Makiki-Punchbowl- Nuuanu), who chaired the powerful finance committee. “I think both the communities that use the stadium and the fact that a lot of attention was given to the deteriorating condition of the stadium brought to light that, hey, the right thing to do at this moment is to build a new stadium.”
UH athletic director David Matlin has called a new stadium “a game-changer” for the athletic department, which has faced declining crowds and revenues in the current facility for a number of reasons.
For many years appeals for a new stadium that were largely tied to football — UH, the Pro Bowl and the high schools — as the main draw gained little traction because they lacked support from other segments of the community.
Aloha Stadium’s godfather, then-Gov. John A. Burns, in the late 1960s envisioned the Halawa facility as a home for UH football that would help propel the school’s athletic program to NCAA Division I status and serve as an entertainment venue for the growing state. But over the years it had become regarded primarily as a site for football and the swap meet.
In recent years the Stadium Authority had sought to expand its entertainment offerings and, at one point, looked into hiring a mainland representative before determining the cost to be prohibitive. Instead, officials worked with a wide range of contacts to advertise and pitch the facility to leading acts.
In the period between May 5, 2018 and May 5, 2019 eight of the 10 highest-attended events at Aloha Stadium were not sports. In fact, sports didn’t crack the top six, which featured three Bruno Mars concerts; Eminem; and Snoop Dogg, Cardi B and Sublime all in a remarkable four-month span. Throw in Guns n’ Roses, which attracted 20,274, and, “I’m not sure we’ve ever had a run like that in our history,” said stadium manager Scott Chan.
While the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys have already put a “sold out” sign on their Aug. 17 game, John Fink, a member of the Stadium Authority, said, “There were probably a lot of people who went to those events who had never been to a football game at the stadium in their lives. And they saw the value of the stadium.”
That is key for a facility that is envisioned as an anchor for ancillary and transit-oriented development to help fund the project. The proceeds are targeted to help reimburse the state for its issuance of $150 million in reimbursable bonds, a prime component of the $350 million.
DRAWING A CROWD
Best-attended Aloha Stadium events May 5, 2018 to May 5, 2019
RANK EVENT / DATE / CROWD
1. Monster X Tour May 4, 2019 42,954
2. Bruno Mars Nov. 10, 2018 38,617
3. Bruno Mars Nov. 11, 2018 36,484
4. Bruno Mars Nov. 8, 2018 35,109
5. Eminem Feb. 15, 2019 28,339
6. Snoop Dogg Dec. 12, 2018 26,926
7. UH vs. Navy Sept. 1, 2018 26,849
8. Hawaii Bowl Dec. 22, 2018 25,864
9. Monster X Tour May 5, 2019 25,635
10. Eagles Dec. 7, 2018 25,634
Source: Aloha Stadium
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
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