State has yet to accept lone bid for NASED project

Spectrum News Sept 27, 2024: … A benchmark point of September – modified last month from early to late September – to name a “preferred offeror” has likely been missed with only few days remaining in the month….

State Sen. Glenn Wakai, a longtime proponent of a new stadium who represents the Halawa district, declined comment when reached by Spectrum News on Thursday.

The specifics of the Request for Clarifications are not known to the Stadium Authority, its members said.

The identities of the committee members have not been made public; they are a mix of state employees and experts in the field of development. The group is reviewing the proposal with an eye on five areas: financial, technical, administrative, diligence and discussions, and commitments.

Details flagged in any of the five could result in a back-and-forth that AHDP must respond to before the committee can score the overall proposal and give its results to the state comptroller.

The DAGS committee meets with AHDP members on a near-weekly basis, deputy stadium manager Chris Sadayasu said.

Meanwhile, the stadium continues to schedule events in its Upper and Lower Halawa lots. It hosted about 15,000 attendees for the Megabon Hawaii dance festival on Sept. 7 and this weekend will have pickleball open play during the swap meet….

read … State has yet to accept lone bid for NASED project

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Project Update

from New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, Oct 1, 2024

On September 30, 2024, the state Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) announced that it is continuing its evaluation of the proposal received at the end of July from Aloha Halawa District Partners (AHDP) as the NASED team has requested further information and clarification to help inform the evaluation process. 

Given the detailed nature of the project, it is essential that a vigorous and thorough review of the proposal is conducted to ensure the best value for the state. Current efforts include more detailed discussions with AHDP on the project as a whole so that the overall timeline is maintained. 

AHDP’s proposal continues to be assessed against the evaluation criteria detailed in the NASED Request for Proposals (RFP). If AHDP’s proposal is determined to be satisfactory against each of the evaluation criteria, AHDP will be selected as the preferred offeror.

The initial plan for the RFP was to select a preferred offeror by the end of September 2024. However, to ensure the integrity of the procurement process and that there is a strong foundation for the negotiation phase, called “diligence and discussion,” the state is now projecting that it will select a preferred offeror by late October 2024. Then, over the following eight (8) months’ diligence and discussion phase, resolve a range of technical and other matters, negotiate, and sign the relevant agreements. Consequently, the state anticipates executing final agreements with the preferred offeror (which then becomes the master developer) by June 2025.

The NASED procurement process remains an active procurement process. Preliminary details (e.g., concept images) of AHDP’s proposal will not be made public until the selection of a preferred offeror, at the earliest.

Businesses or organizations that would like to register their interest with the priority-listed offeror / preferred offeror may submit their contact information on the “Doing Business” page on the project website: https://nased.hawaii.gov/doing-business/

To read a copy of the news release click here.

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FAQs

Q: Why hasn't the exiting Aloha Stadium already been demolished?

A: While some may be eager to see the existing Aloha Stadium demolished immediately, the plan is for the NASED master developer to undertake the demolition. This approach is the most financially efficient and ensures that materials from the existing Aloha Stadium can be reused as much as possible in the construction of the new multi-purpose stadium.

The state has considered various options regarding the demolition of the existing Aloha Stadium and elected to place this responsibility on the NASED master developer. This approach balances time, cost, and risk transfer by coordinating demolition and construction activities sequentially, and significantly reducing the overall cost of the project. Mobilizing equipment and labor only once leads to substantial savings and allows for better allocation of financial resources throughout the project lifecycle.

In addition, performing the demolition and construction under the master developer’s contractor streamlines the communication and decision-making processes, reducing the potential for delays. This cohesion is essential for maintaining project momentum and meeting deadlines. Synchronizing these activities also helps the master developer manage risks associated with existing site conditions, allowing for immediate addressing of unforeseen issues such as underground utilities, avoiding the potential of delays and additional costs to the project.