HawaiiMongoose
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 12:39 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Could you imagine that scoreboard and press box in an FBS game?
The county would do some upgrades prior to the games being played. But yes, it's nowhere near an FBS venue. Even as an FCS venue it would be marginal.
But I wouldn't rule out UH being back at Aloha Stadium next season. This shutdown isn't really about structural issues. The problem is that the facility is supposed to be self-supporting -- all expenses of the stadium board and staff are required to be covered by rental, concession and parking fees -- and the revenue has dried up this year due to COVID restrictions. As a result there's a $3 million deficit and no one wants to step up and pay it.
Meanwhile UH's current agreement with Aloha Stadium allows for it to play games there rent-free with only concession and parking money going to the stadium. Most UH fans are convinced that the shutdown's intention is to put UH in a such a desperate position that it has no choice other than to accept renegotiating the agreement and paying substantial rental fees to use the facility.
It'll be interesting to see how things unfold. UH may cave, or may decide to play games on Maui until the already-funded Aloha Stadium replacement is ready in 2023 or 2024. My guess is that UH will cave.
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12-19-2020 01:32 PM |
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IWokeUpLikeThis
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 01:32 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote: (12-19-2020 12:39 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Could you imagine that scoreboard and press box in an FBS game?
The county would do some upgrades prior to the games being played. But yes, it's nowhere near an FBS venue. Even as an FCS venue it would be marginal.
But I wouldn't rule out UH being back at Aloha Stadium next season. This shutdown isn't really about structural issues. The problem is that the facility is supposed to be self-supporting -- all expenses of the stadium board and staff are required to be covered by rental, concession and parking fees -- and the revenue has dried up this year due to COVID restrictions. As a result there's a $3 million deficit and no one wants to step up and pay it.
Meanwhile UH's current agreement with Aloha Stadium allows for it to play games there rent-free with only concession and parking money going to the stadium. Most UH fans are convinced that the shutdown's intention is to put UH in a such a desperate position that it has no choice other than to accept renegotiating the agreement and paying substantial rental fees to use the facility.
It'll be interesting to see how things unfold. UH may cave, or may decide to play games on Maui until the already-funded Aloha Stadium replacement is ready in 2023 or 2024. My guess is that UH will cave.
Really hope this is a bluff and Hawai’i can play at Aloha. Stadium has too much history.
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12-19-2020 01:48 PM |
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esayem
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 12:39 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Could you imagine that scoreboard and press box in an FBS game?
Yep.
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12-19-2020 01:54 PM |
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BearcatJerry
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 01:54 PM)esayem Wrote: (12-19-2020 12:39 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Could you imagine that scoreboard and press box in an FBS game?
Yep.
You could also add UMass's McGuirk and Idaho's "Kibbie Dome" into that...but thank God the Kibbie Dome isn't FBS anymore...
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12-19-2020 02:45 PM |
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Wedge
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 01:32 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote: (12-19-2020 12:39 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Could you imagine that scoreboard and press box in an FBS game?
The county would do some upgrades prior to the games being played.
If they install a new high quality turf field, sufficient lighting structures for night games on TV, and everything else needed just to meet anyone's idea of a minimum FBS standard, even without adding seating capacity, the total budget would be well over $1 million, maybe over $2 million.
That makes it sound like your assumption is correct, that Aloha Stadium will be successful in shaking down the university for substantial rent payments.
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12-19-2020 03:30 PM |
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Stugray2
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
The problem is the structure has rusted through. It has to be completely torn down. Even so the location was an economic disaster, nothing there. Same basic problem of the Oakland Coliseum and Candlestick Park. Ideally you want a nearby entertainment and residences like you now see for the SF Giants stadium. So Aloha is not worth tearing down and rebuilding. New site needed,
New stadium complex plans have been held up too long until the State finally relented on zoning of the new site to allow a more economically viable stadium and multi-use complex.
In the meantime, either play at a High School or hit the road. And 2023 would be the earliest they have that new home.
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12-19-2020 05:56 PM |
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HawaiiMongoose
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 05:56 PM)Stugray2 Wrote: The problem is the structure has rusted through. It has to be completely torn down. Even so the location was an economic disaster, nothing there. Same basic problem of the Oakland Coliseum and Candlestick Park. Ideally you want a nearby entertainment and residences like you now see for the SF Giants stadium. So Aloha is not worth tearing down and rebuilding. New site needed,
New stadium complex plans have been held up too long until the State finally relented on zoning of the new site to allow a more economically viable stadium and multi-use complex.
In the meantime, either play at a High School or hit the road. And 2023 would be the earliest they have that new home.
Several misstatements above.
First, the structure isn’t “rusted through”. I’ve been a season ticket holder for over 25 years and I’ve witnessed the stadium’s deterioration and the work done to combat it first hand. There are lots of spots where rust is visible and a few where structural integrity is probably in question, but most of the facility is still sound enough to safely accommodate fans. If not for the operating deficit it could be at least partially reopened.
Second, the stadium’s location is actually ideal, which is why the repacement will also be built there. With the Honolulu urban core to the southeast and all of the bedroom suburbs to the west and north it’s basically at the central point where most of Oahu’s 975K population is within a 30-minute drive. All of the major highways on the island converge there and the location is also at the midpoint of the new 20-mile rail transit line. Finally the property is large enough to accommodate parking for 30-40K fans plus new mixed-use development, which wouldn’t be the case at any available site closer to downtown.
Finally the holdup in getting the replacement stadium project underway had nothing to do with state zoning restrictions. Zoning is controlled by the city rather than the state and the city wasn’t an obstacle. The issue was getting relief from the federal government from the use restrictions it placed on the property before trading it to the state back in the 1970s. The exchange agreement specified that the land could only be used for recreation, and the state has spent the past several years working with the feds to obtain permission for commercial uses as well. This was necessary because the state needs at least some of the funding for the stadium replacement project to come from private developers.
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12-19-2020 07:58 PM |
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whittx
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 07:58 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote: (12-19-2020 05:56 PM)Stugray2 Wrote: The problem is the structure has rusted through. It has to be completely torn down. Even so the location was an economic disaster, nothing there. Same basic problem of the Oakland Coliseum and Candlestick Park. Ideally you want a nearby entertainment and residences like you now see for the SF Giants stadium. So Aloha is not worth tearing down and rebuilding. New site needed,
New stadium complex plans have been held up too long until the State finally relented on zoning of the new site to allow a more economically viable stadium and multi-use complex.
In the meantime, either play at a High School or hit the road. And 2023 would be the earliest they have that new home.
Several misstatements above.
First, the structure isn’t “rusted through”. I’ve been a season ticket holder for over 25 years and I’ve witnessed the stadium’s deterioration and the work done to combat it first hand. There are lots of spots where rust is visible and a few where structural integrity is probably in question, but most of the facility is still sound enough to safely accommodate fans. If not for the operating deficit it could be at least partially reopened.
Second, the stadium’s location is actually ideal, which is why the repacement will also be built there. With the Honolulu urban core to the southeast and all of the bedroom suburbs to the west and north it’s basically at the central point where most of Oahu’s 975K population is within a 30-minute drive. All of the major highways on the island converge there and the location is also at the midpoint of the new 20-mile rail transit line. Finally the property is large enough to accommodate parking for 30-40K fans plus new mixed-use development, which wouldn’t be the case at any available site closer to downtown.
Finally the holdup in getting the replacement stadium project underway had nothing to do with state zoning restrictions. Zoning is controlled by the city rather than the state and the city wasn’t an obstacle. The issue was getting relief from the federal government from the use restrictions it placed on the property before trading it to the state back in the 1970s. The exchange agreement specified that the land could only be used for recreation, and the state has spent the past several years working with the feds to obtain permission for commercial uses as well. This was necessary because the state needs at least some of the funding for the stadium replacement project to come from private developers.
Of course there is the more important question for the locals... Will the swap meet have to be relocated during construction???
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12-19-2020 08:59 PM |
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HawaiiMongoose
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RE: Aloha Stadium in trouble - Not able to host Hawaii for 2021
(12-19-2020 08:59 PM)whittx Wrote: (12-19-2020 07:58 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote: (12-19-2020 05:56 PM)Stugray2 Wrote: The problem is the structure has rusted through. It has to be completely torn down. Even so the location was an economic disaster, nothing there. Same basic problem of the Oakland Coliseum and Candlestick Park. Ideally you want a nearby entertainment and residences like you now see for the SF Giants stadium. So Aloha is not worth tearing down and rebuilding. New site needed,
New stadium complex plans have been held up too long until the State finally relented on zoning of the new site to allow a more economically viable stadium and multi-use complex.
In the meantime, either play at a High School or hit the road. And 2023 would be the earliest they have that new home.
Several misstatements above.
First, the structure isn’t “rusted through”. I’ve been a season ticket holder for over 25 years and I’ve witnessed the stadium’s deterioration and the work done to combat it first hand. There are lots of spots where rust is visible and a few where structural integrity is probably in question, but most of the facility is still sound enough to safely accommodate fans. If not for the operating deficit it could be at least partially reopened.
Second, the stadium’s location is actually ideal, which is why the repacement will also be built there. With the Honolulu urban core to the southeast and all of the bedroom suburbs to the west and north it’s basically at the central point where most of Oahu’s 975K population is within a 30-minute drive. All of the major highways on the island converge there and the location is also at the midpoint of the new 20-mile rail transit line. Finally the property is large enough to accommodate parking for 30-40K fans plus new mixed-use development, which wouldn’t be the case at any available site closer to downtown.
Finally the holdup in getting the replacement stadium project underway had nothing to do with state zoning restrictions. Zoning is controlled by the city rather than the state and the city wasn’t an obstacle. The issue was getting relief from the federal government from the use restrictions it placed on the property before trading it to the state back in the 1970s. The exchange agreement specified that the land could only be used for recreation, and the state has spent the past several years working with the feds to obtain permission for commercial uses as well. This was necessary because the state needs at least some of the funding for the stadium replacement project to come from private developers.
Of course there is the more important question for the locals... Will the swap meet have to be relocated during construction???
LOL. Yep, that's the big question.
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12-19-2020 10:59 PM |
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