WHEREAS, since 1975, the fifty-thousand seat Aloha Stadium has served as the home field for Hawaii's athletic teams and has hosted athletic competitions and other local, national, and international events; and

WHEREAS, Aloha Stadium is the home field of the University of Hawaii football team, which is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football program in the State; and

WHEREAS, Aloha Stadium is a versatile facility which can be transformed into a baseball field and into numerous other configurations; and

WHEREAS, the stadium has endured extensive use and weathering, including rust, and questions remain as to whether the stadium is structurally and financially viable; and

WHEREAS, the Stadium Authority estimates that the cost to maintain the stadium over the next five years will be approximately $36,650,000; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature, Governor, University of Hawaii, and other organizations and members of the public are reassessing the fiscal prudence of continued investment in maintaining the current Aloha Stadium facility; and

WHEREAS, numerous municipalities and universities across the nation have conducted extensive studies and undertaken major renovation and reconstruction projects to their existing stadiums to prolong the life of their facilities and improve revenue generation; and

WHEREAS, Aloha Stadium facilities need to be thoroughly evaluated for structural integrity, local, national, and international appeal, and costs for maintenance and improvements before the State commits large sums of taxpayers' money to maintain the existing facilities; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Department of Accounting and General Services, in consultation with the University of Hawaii, is requested to study renovation and reconstruction options for Aloha Stadium and to evaluate the actions taken by other states, cities, and universities to renovate and reconstruct their aging stadiums for applicability to the State's needs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Accounting and General Services submit a report to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2004 Regular Session on its findings and recommendations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Comptroller, and the President and Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Aloha Stadium; Renovation and Reconstruction