Rust report: Aloha Stadium corrosion has increased substantially

The Aloha Stadium Authority is expecting a sobering report on the state of corrosion at the soon-to-be 45-year-old facility when it meets Thursday, some members indicated.

The posted agenda for the monthly meeting lists discussion of a final 2018 corrosion review report by its consulting structural engineer. Stadium officials declined comment pending receipt and discussion of the report.

The nine-member appointed board received a preliminary briefing from consultants and members of the Department of Accounting and General Services in closed-door executive session Nov. 29 during which it was shown images of the corrosion that has taken place since the previous 2016 report.

Consultants have been conducting studies on a industry-standard biennial basis but a recommendation given to the Stadium Authority in November was to reduce the inspection interval to one year to better suit the current challenges facing the facility.

Corrosion of weathering steel members was described as having increased substantially over the past two years, according to the preliminary report. In addition, according to the report, numerous decking panels were classified as “severely corroded.”

In recent months state and stadium officials have said the stadium is appropriate for occupancy but in need of immediate funding for safety-related repairs in high priority areas over the next 24 months. Without them, the Stadium Authority was told in June, it might become necessary to eventually close some areas of the stadium.

Two years ago a consultant’s report warned Aloha Stadium, “…served its useful life and is now a liability to fan experiences, a potential danger to public health and safety and a financial burden for maintenance and operations.”

It has been estimated that it will cost $20 million-$30 million a year in health and safety repairs to keep the 50,000-seat facility operational.

In November, MoneyWise magazine ranked Aloha Stadium second in its listing of the worst stadiums in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision. The ranking was “based on attendance, online comments and more,” the magazine said.

Meanwhile, the latest consultant’s report arrives as the legislature considers several bills dealing with the future of the state’s largest sports and entertainment venue.

Twin bills — House Bill 1497 and Senate Bill 1530 — call for $350 million to finance a new stadium next to the current stadium on the 98-acre footprint in Halawa, which is to include ancillary development to help underwrite some of the bonds.

Another measure, House Bill 695, authored by Reps. John Mizuno (D, Kalihi Valley-Kamehameha Heights) and Tom Brower (D,Waikiki-Ala Moana), would authorize an as yet-undesignated amount of general obligation bonds for a stadium at an undisclosed site. It would require matching funds of one-third from the private sector.