Stadium Authority delays decision on new turf
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state Stadium Authority yesterday delayed for two weeks a decision to replace the turf at Aloha Stadium, putting at risk the possibility of installing a new playing surface by the start of the high school football season in mid-August.
The Stadium Authority delayed deciding on a proposal by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority to switch the stadium playing surface from the current Astroturf to FieldTurf.
The HTA brokered a deal with the NFL to change the turf as a condition to keep the annual Pro Bowl.
The Stadium Authority, which has the final say on the playing surface, cited lack of information on the FieldTurf's durability, the total cost of installation and its maintainenance and how the HTA would pay for a project that could cost more than the $877,000 estimate from FieldTurf.
The Stadium Authority meets again on June 13.
The state spent $2.4 million to install AstroTurf three years ago. The Stadium Authority still owes $1.5 million of that to Southwest Recreational Industries Inc., the company that owns AstroTurf.
"We're budgeted to pay for that," Stadium Authority chairman Larry Price said. "But (if it's removed), we'll be paying for something we don't have, for something we don't need."
He said the Stadium Authority's responsibility is to protect taxpayers.
The HTA has agreed to most of the conditions put forth by the Stadium Authority. The tourism authority did not find it reasonable, however, that FieldTurf accept all responsible for injuries sustained on its turf.
"If you require that of Southwest Recreational Industries right now today, that's fine," HTA interim executive director Rick Humphries told the board. "If not, let's talk."
Price said if the HTA doesn't agree to all its conditions, it's a "dead deal."
The HTA, which is responsible for paying for the project, said it is exercising "best efforts" to replace the field, per its contract with the NFL. The league has cited the current surface at Aloha Stadium as unsafe and dangerous to its athletes, a claim the Stadium Authority argues is unsubstantiated.
Board members said nine NFL fields use AstroTurf.
"Why play the Super Bowl (in New Orleans' Superdome) on AstroTurf?" asked board member Robin Campaniano.
Price dismissed claims that AstroTurf is more dangerous than comparable surfaces: "I don't believe there is any evidence that FieldTurf is a superior product (to AstroTurf)," he said. "Not now, not ever."
The HTA on Wednesday approved paying up to $500,000 to replace the playing surface with FieldTurf, an artificial grass product that uses layers of sand and rubber infill. The NFL has said it would fund the remaining costs.
But Stadium Authority said it will cost more than $877,000 to prepare the field, install the turf and maintain the new surface.
In a study paid for by the HTA and conducted by Fukunaga & Associates, an engineering consulting company, preparing the field for FieldTurf may cost up to $2 million. That includes an alteration to the underlying asphalt and cost of resurfacing. Construction would be approximately five to six months.
To install the FieldTurf, the crown has to be leveled and the warning track may have to be raised. The asphalt underneath, which may be damaged, might have to be replaced. The new asphalt would have to sit undisturbed for about a month to set.
John Nishimura, vice president at Fukunaga & Associates, said there is "no way" FieldTurf could get the job done in the two weeks it promised should the asphalt require replacement.
The Stadium Authority also said the Pro Bowl is just one of the many events at the stadium.
Another concern is if FieldTurf will be able to sustain the weight of 30- to 50-ton cranes used to set up large concert equipment. Concerts are one of the primary sources of revenue for the stadium.
The board members also want to know whether the underlying geological structure of the stadium will provide adequate drainage for FieldTurf.
"This is going to be a maintenance nightmare," Stadium Authority member Michael Green said.
The NFL said grass is its first preference, with FieldTurf the only acceptable alternative. The Stadium Authority is willing to put in sod for the annual all-star game, costing anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000 per game. In order to grow the turf by mid-August, local turf farms would need to know by June if natural grass is still an option. They have offered reduced prices for their sod. The squares of natural grass would be placed directly onto the AstroTurf.
"If I had my choice, I'm a grass guy," Price said.
Price said one local turf farmer could supply the sod for $200,000 per game. Over three years, he said the cost would be substantially less than replacing the existing turf with FieldTurf.
Humphries said replacing the turf would not be a "rush job."
"If we don't meet the deadline, we'll just wait," he said.
FieldTurf will be in two pro stadiums this season: new stadiums in Seattle and Detroit. Ten NFL teams have installed FieldTurf in their practice facilities.
Some Stadium Authority members questioned the NFL's preference of FieldTurf, pointing out the NFL Quarterback Club, which consists of former league quarterbacks, is a minor investor in the company.
"If this can be done with little or no disruption to other events and serve the multipurpose needs of the stadium, then we're on the right track," Campaniano said. "We just need that reassurance."
