Aloha Stadium patrons must wait at least another year for major improvements at the 30-year-old facility after a shortage of money delayed a $130 million renovation project originally scheduled for July.

The 50,000-seat Halawa facility — home of the University of Hawai'i's football team and NFL's Pro Bowl — needs costly repairs to withstand another 20 to 30 years of use, according to stadium officials. The stadium was built in 1975.

"I'm concerned about the delays," Aloha Stadium Authority chairman Kevin Chong Kee said. "We have to regroup, and present it to the Legislature in the next session."

Stadium officials said the stadium is structurally sound, but warned additional delays in repairs could lead to the closure of Hawai'i's largest and most versatile multi-purpose stadium, costing the state millions in lost revenue.

"If the repairs are not done, and you have to close the stadium at some point in time, the economic impact on the state is very significant," state comptroller Russ Saito said. "The economic impact of not having the Pro Bowl ... is in the $30 million dollar range."

Missing the UH football home season, normally seven to eight games, would be a "really big hit," Saito said. The UH football team made $4.3 million in revenue last season, according to an auditor's report.

Some high-priority stadium fixes include corrosion mitigation, the addition of women's toilets and the installation of four elevators to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, stadium officials said.

"As far as health and safety, we're 300 toilets shy for the women based on current code," Saito said. "We should have a heck of a lot more."

Saito said the state Legislature did not issue a proviso authorizing the state Department of Accounting and General Services to issue revenue bonds to cover repair costs, essentially stalling the project until the next Legislative session. Saito said the Attorney General advised against the stadium taking out a loan from the state Department of Budget and Finance to begin the project.

In the meantime, the stadium has $1 million to spend on planning and design of a new roof deck, Saito said. The current roof is corroding.

Other issues at the Aloha Stadium Authority meeting yesterday involved a proposal by a Tennessee-based promoter to host two major league baseball preseason games, March 29-30, 2007, and the expansion of the Hawai'i Hall of Fame that would include permanent exhibits at the stadium.

The stadium received an application Tuesday from Carl C. Taylor, who wants to promote preseason baseball games between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians.

Taylor projected the games would gross $3 million with $1.8 million in expenses, according to interim deputy stadium manager Scott Chan.

Chan said the Stadium Authority has requested more information on Taylor's agreement with the two teams before taking it under consideration, and told the promoter to provide more details by July 12. As of yesterday, the stadium had not received any agreement from the teams, Chan said.

Taylor could not be immediately reached for comment.

Also yesterday, the authority approved a motion to work with Hawai'i Hall of Fame spokesman Larry Price to establish a permanent display inside the stadium's hospitality room.

Price called the Hall of Fame an "educational repository," especially valuable for youngsters "to affect their self-esteem; to show them, they can actually become world champions."

Price said he would leave the decision whether to charge admission to the authority. Price also offered to train the docents who oversee the expanded Hall of Fame.

The Hawai'i Hall of Fame has exhibits at Bishop Museum and the Honolulu International Airport. It also has a Web page at www.alohafame.org. The Hall of Fame currently has a one-wall display inside the stadium's hospitality room, but it's not as elaborate as the displays at Bishop Museum or the airport, which have kiosks and memorabilia.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1997 by Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, and it includes memorabilia, exhibits and photos of Hawai'i sports legends.

NOTE

Aloha Stadium officials will hold a public hearing July 27 on a proposal to lock the stadium's moveable grandstands into football configuration. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. inside the stadium's conference room.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.