Another Side
of the Story
Another Side
of the Story
Aloha Stadium won’t rush
decision on field surfaceRecently there have been news stories about installing FieldTurf synthetic grass at the Aloha Stadium. Frankly, the discussion is being driven by the sales pitch of a turf company that simply wants to make a sale. Let's take a step back and put things in perspective.
The contract between the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and the National Football League (NFL) includes a provision relating to the possibility of changing the AstroTurf at the stadium to some other kind of playing surface, specifically natural grass. The Stadium Authority (SA), which has sole responsibility for Aloha Stadium, was neither a party to that contract nor was it invited to participate in any of the discussions concerning changing the field surface.
The Stadium Authority has not received any formal request by any organization, including the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the NFL, to change the current field surface, nor has any organization provided documentation or asked to present a case for changing the surface.
The AstroTurf installed at the Aloha Stadium is relatively new. It cost taxpayers $2.4 million and has five years left on its warranty. What are the compelling reasons to rush in and rip out a 21/2-year-old, $2.4 million surface? Is it to keep the NFL happy? Is it the proposal of a field-turf company looking for new business? As far as the Stadium Authority is concerned, those reasons certainly are not good enough.
The field at the Aloha Stadium is not just used for the Pro Bowl or University of Hawaii football games. It is used for concerts, high school football, baseball and other events, such as the Great Aloha Fun Run, that need a venue with the size and capacity of the stadium. The type of field surface we have must best be able to accommodate all these events, and be able to hold up to this broad array of traffic.
Only two NFL stadiums now use FieldTurf, and the jury is still out on its viability for a multipurpose facility like the Aloha Stadium. The HTA's own engineering consultant hired to conduct a study on playing-field surfaces is recommending that it wait at least two years before making any decision, as the technology on alternative field surfaces is rapidly changing and the performance history on FieldTurf, Inc.'s artificial turf is uncertain.
As for talk about losing the Pro Bowl if we don't change to FieldTurf, the Stadium Authority cannot make serious decisions and throw away taxpayers' money based on such dire warnings. Besides, professional football players are gladiators who play anywhere, anytime on any surface. They come to Hawaii because we are Hawaii, not because of the kind of field surface we have.
It is the goal of the Stadium Authority to make sure that the conditions of all aspects of the Aloha Stadium are safe, user friendly and practical for all of the organizations and people who use the facility, whether they are professional football players or graduating seniors.
The Stadium Authority is not close minded on this matter, but we need much more information than are provided through our news media. Decisions of this magnitude cannot be made over a beer at Murphy's, or under of the kind pressure we are reading about in our newspapers. At the right time and with all the information at hand, the people of this state can rely on the Stadium Authority to do the right thing.
Larry Price is chairman of
the Hawaii Stadium Authority.