STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 126
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 1494
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1494 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPORTS FACILITIES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Lapse appropriations of general obligation bond funds previously authorized for the planning, design, and construction of a stadium in Halawa by the Stadium Authority;
(2) Authorize the issuance
of general obligation bonds for a new stadium on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus;
and
(3) Rename the Stadium Authority and Stadium Development District as the Halawa Redevelopment Authority and Halawa Redevelopment District, respectively.
Your Committee finds
that the New Aloha Stadium and Entertainment District project has reached a
critical milestone and has recently finalized selection of a proposed developer
and is negotiating for a development agreement to begin the project. Your Committee further finds that relocating
the site of the new stadium to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus would
unnecessarily delay the construction of a new stadium, as a new environmental
impact statement would need to be completed and the new location would face significant
additional costs to meet the engineering requirements for the construction of a
stadium that would likely be unable to support the community expectations for a
new stadium.
Accordingly,
your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the location of the new stadium to an
unspecified location;
(2) Authorizing the Halawa Redevelopment
Authority, rather than the University of Hawaii, to expend any funds from a
general obligation bond issued pursuant to this measure;
(3) Reverting to existing statutory language to allow
the Halawa Redevelopment Authority to develop, construct, and manage a new
stadium;
(4) Authorizing the Halawa Development Authority
to sell the naming rights to a stadium located within the Halawa Development
District and operated by the Authority;
(5) Allowing the Halawa Redevelopment Special Fund
to accept donations from private parties and the sale of naming rights;
(6) Allowing the display of the name of a private
entity who has purchased the naming rights to a stadium located in the Halawa
Redevelopment District and operated by the Halawa Redevelopment Authority along
the exterior of the stadium;
(7) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000,
to encourage further discussion; and
(8) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments
for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
Your Committee respectfully requests
your Committee on Higher Education, should it choose to deliberate on this
measure, to consider an appropriate location for the stadium.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1494, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1494, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,
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____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Chair |
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