Hawai'i Community Development Authority

By Dave Reardon /  May 6, 2026

Remember that $49.5 million that got held back from the $400 million the state Legislature allotted for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District project?

Not having access to this money created difficulties because it was earmarked for “costs such as program management, technical studies, design coordination, environmental and infrastructure planning, and other preparatory work needed to advance the project toward construction,” according to a statement from an Aloha Stadium spokesperson in March.

Well, it’s not quite a done deal yet, but it’s still in the state budget bill (HB 1800) and up for floor vote today. The legislative session is scheduled to end Friday.

“Good news, but not a done deal yet,” said developer Stanford Carr, leader of Aloha Halawa District Partners, the private conglomerate of the partnership with the state to build the new stadium and develop the surrounding area. “Can’t count the chickens yet.”

Aloha Stadium manager Michael Yadao and State Sen. Glenn Wakai are also both cautiously optimistic that those funds will be made available to help keep work on dismantling the existing stadium and building the new one on schedule.

Once the cap is removed, the state can use the allocated funds to start cutting checks to AHDP as it continues to move forward with dismantling the stadium — a process expected to be completed by the end of summer.

“Contemporaneously, we are working on design of a world class stadium that will be attractive for football, soccer and rugby, and great entertainment acts,” Carr said.

The new facility, with seating for 31,000, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2029. The latest revised plans call for no bleacher seating, and “cupholders at every seat,” as Carr likes to reminds us.

Senate Bill 2599 is still in play. This one would give the Hawaii Community Development Authority responsibility for overseeing development of the non-stadium part of the project. HCDA would be in charge of zoning and permitting. The City and County of Honolulu would still be involved with some infrastructure issues.

The Aloha Stadium Authority, HCDA and the Department of Accounting and General Services would all have roles. If it seems like a lot of bureaucracy, that’s because it is.

But it’s necessary due to the unprecedented scope of the NASED project — we’re talking 20-30 years and potentially a $4 bilion value. The stadium is the centerpiece, but the thousands of housing units and businesses are important too.

“HCDA has that expertise, we see it with the Kakaako (development) project,” Wakai said.

Stanford Carr Development works closely with the HCDA on that project, and Carr said he has a good working relationship with HCDA executive director Craig Nakamoto.

For its part, the Stadium Authority anticipated this next phase of the project by installing board member Walter Thoemmes as chair. Although the Stadium Authority won’t have direct control of development of the surrounding mixed-use real estate, it will still need to coordinate efforts, such as infrastructure.

“He’s an experienced developer, many years at Kamehameha,” Carr said of Thoemmes. “He’s the right guy to be in that spot now. We have a great team to work with (at the stadium).”

Said Wakai: “It’s always going to be a collaboration. “(Thoemmes) is the perfect guy to be in the position he is in now.”

The same has been said of Yadao as Aloha Stadium manager. One of the first moves he made was to jettison several consultant contracts — mostly out-of-state — that were costing the states thousands of dollars.

“I think that helps us with the Legislature,” Yadao said.

NASED proponents won’t get everything they want from the Legislature, such as a naming rights and signage proposal that Wakai was hoping for.

“A full digital deployment at NASED would bring in $105 million over 30 years,” Wakai said, citing a 2024 market study on the issue. “We need to bring in substantial sums of money without taxing the public.”

A revised version of that bill is likely to pass, which allows advertising outside of the facility, but facing inward.

That’s something that could be adjusted in the future, if the Aloha Live! concept turns out to be as attractive as it is in other similar projects, like KC Live! (technically not a stadium project, but a downtown watch-party destination for the Chiefs in Kansas City). The Cordish Company designed it, and is part of the AHDP team.