Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Sports
By Ferd Lewis
May 29, 2020
Hawaii has received six responses to its request for qualifications from prospective developer-led teams for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, the first step in choosing a partner for the project.
State Sen. Glenn Wakai told the Aloha Stadium Authority Thursday that passage of senate bill 2940 in the coming weeks is “imperative” for plans for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District to keep moving toward a targeted 2023 debut.
The bill, authored by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Mililani Mauka, Waipio Acres), would transfer authority to issue leases of the lands within the Stadium Development District from the Hawaii Community Development Authority to the Stadium Authority. It would repeal legislation from the 2019 session which had given the HCDA the lead role.
The Legislature is expected to re-convene June 15 and Wakai (D, Kalihi, Pearl Harbor) said, “We’re really in need of passing (2940) because without it the request for proposals (from priority-listed developers) will be in murky waters.” He said, “If we don’t get this passed … we will have some challenges issuing the RFP. If we issue it without the passage of the bill, there could be those (developers with) sour grapes and file some kind of protest, so it is imperative that we have this bill passed.”
The state has said it hopes to issue the RFPs in July and have a contract with the developer in place in the first quarter of 2021.
HCDA has not publicly opposed the bill.
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