The long-discussed redevelopment of Aloha Stadium is facing yet another delay, although the planned demolition of the existing, aging stadium remains on track for later this summer.
Project officials on Tuesday said that the deadline for negotiations between the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, or NASED, and Aloha Hālawa District Partners, or AHDP, has been extended to mid-August. The original self-imposed deadline was June 30.
An announcement from NASED notes that the extension allows for "continued progress on finalizing the various public-private partnership agreements."
Officials say, however, that the demolition of the existing 50-year-old Aloha Stadium is still expected to commence by the end of August.
Stadium Authority Chair Brennon Morioka said in the announcement that the extended deadline allows both parties "to further refine key aspects of the agreement without compromising the timeline for project milestones. We remain confident that we will execute a final agreement by August.”
AHDP is a consortium selected in late 2024 to construct a new stadium and surrounding entertainment district, which will also include affordable housing.
NASED says that the development team is in the midst of the "diligence and discussion phase" of the procurement process, which includes finalizing details of its comprehensive development proposal.
The procurement process is governed by "strict confidentiality provisions," but NASED says that AHDP's proposal will be fully unveiled once the agreement is executed and through future community engagement activities.
AHDP held its first community meeting in February, where team members discussed the redevelopment of the 98-acre site.
Aloha State Daily reported that time that Stanford Carr, president of Stanford Carr Development, which is part of AHDP, outlined how members of the development team were aiming to make the site a place that can be "activated" 365 days a year with a park, as well as a variety of entertainment and housing options.
Opened Sept. 12, 1975, the existing Aloha Stadium was deemed unsafe to hold fans in any capacity in December 2020.
In lieu of Aloha Stadium, the University of Hawai‘i football team has played its home games at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Mānoa since 2021.
You can learn more about NASED here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
