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Committee advances backup plan bill for UH stadium funding amid ongoing NASED debate
Summary
HB 1494 (Proposed HD2) would redirect previously authorized funds for an off‑campus stadium to a University of Hawaii campus stadium and rename the Stadium Authority and development district; the committee passed the bill with amendments while multiple state agencies and the Stadium Authority registered opposition or concerns.
The House Committee on Higher Education passed HB 14‑94 (proposed HD2), a bill that would lapse appropriations and special funds previously authorized for planning and construction of a stadium in Halawa and authorize issuance of bonds for a new stadium at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. The measure would also rename the Stadium Authority and the stadium development district to a Halawa redevelopment authority and district and amend associated powers and duties.
Supporters described the bill as a contingency “off‑ramp” to protect the university’s football program if the proposed NASED project does not proceed. The bill’s introducer said the intent was to protect UH football interests and not to prefer a campus stadium as the first option.
Multiple state entities registered opposition or concerns. The Stadium Authority’s interim stadium manager, Chris Sarayasu, and the comptroller, Keith Regan, told the committee they stood on written testimony opposing the proposed HD2. Calvert Young, vice president for budget and finance for the University of Hawaii system, said the university supports NASED and is relying on the state to deliver that project in a timely manner; the university reiterated reliance on the state’s ability to deliver the NASED schedule and said it is expecting to mitigate impacts to UH operations and athletics.
Witnesses described financial, scheduling and operational impacts of Aloha Stadium’s 2020 closure and the university’s temporary Ching Field investment. Jan Gouveia, UH vice president for administration, said temporary bleacher infrastructure had an original shelf life of 10 years and that hospitality suites had a five‑year life; the university estimated additional investments (including a new track and soccer stadium) of about $15 million and noted the temporary facility has required ongoing maintenance and added operational duties.
Committee questions focused on availability, cost and the extent to which the $350 million figure cited in the bill would suffice for a campus stadium. The university said $350 million could construct a basic stadium but “we know we cannot construct what is being contemplated at NASED with the $350,000,000 at Mānoa” and cautioned that the price point would not yield a stadium matching NASED’s proposed amenities. The committee passed HB 14‑94 HD2 with amendments; Representative Olds recorded a reservation. The bill will go to the Finance Committee.
