Editorial: Honolulu’s aging facilities need upgrades for big shows

State and city government officials have long wanted to replace or modernize Honolulu’s biggest entertainment venues with up-to-date facilities. They argue that the current state of Aloha Stadium, Blaisdell Arena and Blaisdell Concert Hall can make it difficult to draw top attractions to Hawaii.

Difficult, maybe. But not impossible.

Last weekend, a sellout crowd of nearly 45,000 watched the Dallas Cowboys beat the Los Angeles Rams, 14-10, in an NFL preseason game at Aloha Stadium.

On Nov. 20 and 21, the Blaisdell Arena will host Janet Jackson for two concerts celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Grammy winner’s “Rhythm Nation” album. It will mark Jackson’s first appearance here since 2015.

And Broadway has come to the concert hall: The Phantom of the Opera, now showing, ends its run on Sept. 1. Upcoming productions of “The Illusionists” and “Rent” are scheduled to take the stage in October and December, respectively.

Yes, aging facilities eventually need upgrading; at some point, maintaining what’s old and outdated just throws good money after bad. But a strict cost/benefit analysis is required: Should taxpayers invest more than $700 million to improve the Blaisdell Center, or will a cheaper option suffice? The latter is worth considering, given that Hawaii still draws major acts. What about spending $350 million to replace Aloha Stadium? That’s worth considering, too, given the rich potential for redevelopment of the entire stadium district.