Report paints
picture of UH
as stadium boss

The consultant offers advice on
raising revenues in its plan

---

By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

If the University of Hawaii ran Aloha Stadium, it should consider raising parking fees, flea market admission prices and rents, and substitute much of the stadium staff with UH personnel, according to a report by a university consultant.

The report was prepared by Steinberg & Moorad, the firm that was brought to Hawaii by UH football coach June Jones. UH signed a $235,000-a-year contract to "identify opportunities for increasing revenues" through the UH athletic department.

Jones has told lawmakers that one way for UH to get more money would be to take over control of Aloha Stadium.

State Senate and House leaders said Monday that any transfer of control over Aloha Sta- dium was unlikely this session. Two bills authorizing such a move died in committee earlier this month. House Speaker Calvin Say (D, Palolo) said lawmakers wanted to hear publicly from more people than Jones about how UH planned to manage the facility.

The Steinberg report, obtained by the Star-Bulletin, says the Stadium Authority, which is appointed by the governor, "has become overly bureaucratic and is resistant to any type of change.

"This has led to a very antagonistic relationship between the stadium and the university," the report says.

Debbie Ishihara, stadium administrative services officer, said she has not seen the report but disagreed with that assertion.

"The report wasn't given to us, no one shared a copy with us, and they didn't ask us for any information," she said. "I don't think it is true that we have been antagonistic. When they have a request, we respond."

Paul Costello, UH vice president for external affairs, said he also had not read the report but agreed that "our fans are getting a bad deal at the stadium."

"We pay rent and get no return from concessions," he said.

The Steinberg report recommends operating the stadium as a for-profit business and does not include the high school sports and other groups that use the 50,000-seat facility.

Costello said UH would work with all community groups if it does get control of the stadium.

"We are in this to make it work; we are looking at who can be added, not who can be cut from it," he said.

To generate money for the UH athletic department, the report offers a plan to charge premium prices for special parking stalls that would be offered to season ticket holders for prices ranging from $100 to $500.

The increase, the report calculates, would bring in more than $1 million.

The report envisions a special season-ticket package that would include a football media guide, parking for any event at the stadium, a football autographed by Jones, a UH long-sleeved T-shirt and mem- bership to the highest level of the Na Koa Football Club.

Another plan would tie special privileges to athletic donor programs.

"At certain donor levels, say $10,000 annually, each member receives a premium parking pass," the report suggests.

The report said the money generated from the donors program should go to the University of Hawaii athletic de- partment, with any excess funds going to scholarships.

Doing that would require a "restructuring of Koa Anuenue," the athletic booster club, the report says.

"The current organization of Ahahui Koa Anuenue does not report directly to the director of athletics and has autonomy," it says.

"To generate an additional million dollars in parking by tying passes into existing donor levels is easier and politically viable than to outright charge for passes."

The report also says the stadium should raise the daily rental for the flea market to $80 a day. It now charges between $10 and $49 for vendors.

"A pricing schedule must be created to capture the maximum revenue potential of the flea market; this could be done by increasing rent or to increase the admission," the report says.

It notes that mainland stadiums that run flea markets charge much more.

The report does suggest bringing in a special promoter to attract more concerts or special shows at the stadium. It calculates that if the stadium gets more shows, the stadium could "receive approximately $300,000 to $500,000 in additional gross revenues."

Michael Green, a Stadium Authority member and former chairman, said the current ticket prices and charges for the stadium are reasonable, but there has to be a balance between increased profits and the community.

"If this is to be run as a pure business, the complexion changes.

"You could charge $8 for a hot dog, but the stadium is for the people," he said.

While the report says "the department needs to retrieve revenues to help offset the costs of running Aloha Stadium," it also contends that the state should foot the bill for major expenses.

For instance, the report says the stadium needs a major renovation and that "all financial obligations including maintenance and renovations should be covered by the state of Hawaii."