HONOLULU — A new draft environmental impact statement has been released for a potential new Aloha Stadium after current venue officials halted the scheduling of new events.
HONOLULU — A new draft environmental impact statement has been released for a potential new Aloha Stadium after current venue officials halted the scheduling of new events.
The posting of the draft statement on Wednesday represents a significant step toward constructing a replacement for the 45-year-old stadium, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
The statement was compiled from a set of studies that considered “archaeological, cultural, flora and fauna, geotechnical, noise, engineering, hazardous materials, traffic, and economic considerations,” according to a statement by the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.
A public comment period of 45 days started Wednesday and will expire on Feb. 8. After the comment period, adjustments may be made to the final environmental impact statement, which would be sent to Gov. David Ige’s office for approval.
The New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District’s statement said the firm hired to conduct studies for the impact statement did not find any major environmental concerns with the project.
Coronavirus restrictions and budget issues forced the current stadium to stop scheduling new events. It will honor previously booked events and still host gatherings in its parking lot for the immediate future.
Hawaii has allocated up to $350 million to develop a new Aloha Stadium. The updated stadium would not be ready to use until at least 2023.
I was reading on a comment on another blog that if the EIS doesn’t pass, and the state gets all tied up with red tape over a new UH football stadium, they could cancel the football program all together. And make UH into a medical school undergraduate program study. They would no longer have a football team and Hawai’i would just have the other sports instead. This could be another option for gaining more funds into the state.