Wikipedia: “A boondoggle is a project that is considered a waste of both time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy or political motivations.”
Governor Ige deserves more credit for trying to put the brakes on the ill-conceived plan to build a new stadium as part of a larger corporate giveway of the site of the current, well-aged Aloha Stadium. He has been circumspect in his objections. But “boondoggle” is the word that comes to my mind.
I admit that I haven’t paid close attention to the years of political and legislative handwringing over what to do about the substantial maintenance needs of the stadium, which has been the University of Hawaii’s home field since the 1975 football season.
I thought the key question was simple: Do we need a new stadium?
And I thought the answer was relatively simple: Yes, we need a new stadium so that University of Hawaii Division I football will have a home.
But then a funny thing happened. The Stadium Authority just cut off UH without discussion. At the end of 2020, the authority simply announced no further events will be held at Aloha Stadium. With that curt announcement, apparently not accompanied by any behind-the-scenes consultations or negotiation with university officials, plans for the next several UH football seasons were upended. And, further, University of Hawaii was informed key decisions about the relationship between the university and the stadium, including financial arrangements and the rights to various income streams created by its football games, will have to be negotiated with the private corporate entity eventually selected to develop the site. In other words, public policy and public opinion may favor the university and a special place for the football program, but corporate interests will control the redevelopment of the site and will determine the terms of any UH-Stadium arrangement.
So, as a result, the university is pursuing an on-campus stadium as an alternative to continued use of Aloha Stadium. And, in the end, even a much smaller stadium on campus may be a better financial deal for the university, since revenues from football games and other events at the stadium, including ticket revenue, advertising, along with concession and parking income, would remain with the university to underwrite the athletic department.
So now that key question has become something like this: Without collegiate football, and given all of the state’s pressing needs, is a new stadium really among the highest priorities?
Remember that the legislature has already pledged $350 million in financial support to build a new stadium, including $50 million in general funds and authorizing another $300 million in general obligation bonds, meaning bonds that get paid back through general state revenue (read “tax dollars”) and not from revenues from the stadium redevelopment project itself. That’s real money taken from other needs, especially in this period of financial uncertainty.
What needs could be met with $350 million in state funding? Where should the stadium (sans UH football) be in a list of priorities?
There are certainly things we NEED. We desperately need affordable housing of all kinds, not only to provide for the homeless and those at the bottom of the income ladder, but also quality rental housing for the broad middle class that has been priced out of the residential market with its million-dollar entry point. We need to adapt to and protect ourselves form the impact of climate change and sea level rise. We need to deal with the huge and growing backlog of deferred repair and maintenance in public buildings, public schools, and the university system. We need to be sure our public pension system is on a sound financial basis. We need to move forward with the replacement of our aging computer infrastructure. We need to face up to the billions in state budget shortfalls projected over the next several years, while our economy slowly recovers from the shock of the pandemic. And on and on.
In my view, any “need” for a shiny new stadium pales in comparison to this laundry list of pressing needs. And meeting those real needs will give the economy more of a boost than a costly development boondoggle.
Coming next: The legacy of “Gut & Replace”
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I’m shocked the stadium is going to be financed by the taxpayers and not revenues from stadium operations and it will be separate from the lucrative real estate development deals that were supposed to help finance the stadium. Therefore it has to compete with outer priorities like housing, decaying schools, pensions, and modern computers to name just a few. This makes no sense.
More and more it looks like a honey pot for developers graft, obscene profit, and more corruption.
STOP THE STADIUM!
The current stadium redevelopment plan certainly seems like a boondoggle (though what large infrastructure project in this State isn’t these days?), but I’m not sure playing games on campus is a long-term solution due to the attendance requirement to be in the FBS (division 1) .
“Football Bowl Subdivision Requirements
Average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football contests over a
rolling two-year period. [Bylaw 20.9.9.3]” (https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Football%20Bowl%20Subqa%2012%208%2014.pdf)
This is 50% more than what appears to be the current proposal to increase seating capacity on campus. (To make use of Ching Field, UH is contemplating expanding seating capacity from 3,585 to about 10,000 at an estimated cost of $1.8 million.)
Replacing Aloha Stadium is just an excuse to let a developer build another shopping mall.
I agree that in this day and age the money would be put to better use. I do have to wonder where the ou high school football play offs and state championship games would be played? I am sure the condos near Mckinley High Schools new and improved football field would love to have it held there.
Before we ask “Do we need a new stadium for UH football?”, perhaps we should ask “Do we need UH football?”
No. We don’t. UH is trying desperately to keep the program going, despite its history of operating in the red… pitching to neighborhood boards and UH area residents, on-campus sites that do not make financial or accommodation sense.
Other colleges have seen the wisdom in stopping expensive football programs. We are lucky to have popular volleyball programs that contribute way over their share of supporting the athletic Dept. The local contingency of groups who have supported football need to back off for the good of the community and UH.
A football program is merely status. Nothing more.
IF football were discontinued (like at my university while I was a student), money and energy could go towards a top tier soccer stadium that could also be used for high school sports and resources could go towards baseball, volleyball, basketball, etc etc.
UH is never consistently good enough at football to keep rabid, loyal, local fans (that spend) and so many students leave the island after graduation to pursue their dreams elsewhere.
The last move in the process will belong to former Hizzoner Kirk Caldwell, who will adopt the Stadium as a rallying cry for his 2022 campaign for Governor. That way, he’ll have both the Rail and the Stadium under his belt, and if elected, he’ll remark at the end of his tenure that the only regret he has is was not being involved in the building of H-3.
I know the year is young but I’m nominating you for Best Comment on a News Article in 2021 . . .
And then Kirky woke up only to realize he has to be at the office of the personal injury law firm that hired him for the daily 9:00 meeting since he didn’t win the governor’s office and lost his lucrative, made up Territorial Savings position.
Hmmm…maybe a run for the state legislature again….
Drop football. It’s a dangerous sport that should have no place on the college scene.
The elephant in the room is that UH students don’t attend the UH football games. The student section is empty.