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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, April 20, 2010

State wants to amend Aloha Stadium lease


Associated Press

The state wants to allow the possible development of commercial shops around Aloha Stadium, and also rent the 50,000-seat facility to private organizations.

In order to do that, state Comptroller Russ Saito said the state has to change the lease it has with the federal government for the land.

The stadium is on federal land with a lease that requires the property be used for public recreational purposes, limiting the use of the land, Saito said.

The current lease restricts use of the stadium to events that the public can attend, but Saito has received requests from corporations that want to hold private concerts and events at the stadium.

Saito spoke after a hearing at the Capitol on a resolution asking the state to move quickly to remove restrictions on the use of the land.

Stadium officials said plans do not include relocating the 50,000-seat stadium. The state is in the middle of a $100 million renovation, and officials said Sunday that the repair work should give the stadium an additional 20 years of service.

To complete the lease transfer, Saito said the state has to come up with other state property that could be dedicated to recreational use. The state is in the process of identifying the land, negotiating with landowners and agreeing to a transfer, he said.

"I hope we can do it before the end of the year," Saito said.

The Senate Committee on Land and the Environment passed out House Concurrent Resolution 284 on Friday.