HĀLAWA — That puka in the sky? It hasn't been visible for over 50 years.
The original Aloha Stadium broke ground in 1971, opening in 1975 at a total cost of $37 million. For 45 years, it earned the reputation as Hawai‘i's gathering place, hosting a multitude of sporting events and concerts. But in late 2020, the stadium's rusty condition was condemned and deemed unsafe to hold any fans.
For more than five years, the stadium's 50,000 seats idled. After submitting the lone bid to become the new stadium's developer, Aloha Hālawa District Partners (AHDP) publicly revealed their first renderings of a new mixed-use stadium and entertainment district in the winter of 2024. After the New Aloha Stadium and Entertainment District (NASED) came to terms on a development agreement with AHDP in the summer of 2025, dismantling of the stadium began in December.
Then in February, live demolition of the stadium began with the side awning in Hālawa. A series of 'tripping' exercises continued over the next months, taking away the upper decks of both sides of the old stadium.
In July's Aloha Stadium Authority meeting, interim manager Michael Yadao was in a reflective state of mind. He was a member of the board when the year began, then was voted into his new role in time for January's Stadium Authority meeting. Each update serves as a milestone, with the new stadium on the same grounds getting closer to reality with each step.
"Contracts were in question, and legislative support was in question. Community support was there, but I think a frustration was setting in about, 'When does it start? When do you move?' The stadium is in a very different and much better place (compared to when it was idle)," Yadao told Aloha State Daily.
Yadao joked during the Stadium Authority meeting that images of the interior's current state look "post-apocalyptic," but it's merely setting the stage for what's next in the weeks and months ahead.
AHDP, led by managing member Stanford Carr, is prepared to unveil its latest round of renderings of the new stadium, which is planned to seat 31,000 with the future capacity for 10,000 more.
Meanwhile, groundbreaking for the new Aloha Stadium, targeted to open in spring of 2029, can begin as early as November and as late as January 2027. Yadao says Thanksgiving is the current estimate for when it could begin.
The current stadium in its entirety will not be torn down, as AHDP and NASED both told ASD that preserving the structures in both end zones will save approximately $90 million in construction costs.
Also in July's meeting, the board told Yadao that he was "exceeding expectations" six months into the role after stepping in following Chris Sadayasu's resignation. When asked how he envisions things looking a year from now, he flashed a wide grin.
"By the summertime (in 2027), you're in construction. You're in it," Yadao said. "I think you start seeing the framework of what's going to become (the next) Aloha Stadium. It's a continuance, and I think you're gonna see it start to take shape. I can't even envision a year from now. I got to get through the next six months."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
