HONOLULU — Major facilities at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center campus — including the arena, exhibition hall and concert hall — will be temporarily closed over the coming year as the nearly 60-year-old campus undergoes a long-deferred $43.6 million renovation, Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced on Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • The city’s Department of Design and Construction is managing a series of capital improvement projects that are intended to address health, safety and deferred maintenance concerns and modernize the Blaisdell facilities to meet current standards of performance

  • Work on the various facilities is expected to continue through June 2024

  • The exhibition hall and administrative building were last renovated in 1992, but other areas of the campus are still using original equipment from 1964

  • The city warned that mobilization and supply chain issues could alter closure dates

“The revitalization of the Blaisdell Center’s facilities is necessary and cannot be delayed any further,” Blangiardi said. “The Blaisdell plays a very significant role in the community, as it has provided a complex for a multitude of events for almost 60 years, including live concerts, sports tournaments, graduations, Broadway shows, song and hula competitions, and annual trade shows and expos.

“We ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we launch an improvement initiative to ensure this special place is maintained so that we can continue to house a diversity of events and create new, long-lasting memories going forward,” he added.  

The city’s Department of Design and Construction is managing a series of capital improvement projects that are intended to address health, safety and deferred maintenance concerns and modernize the Blaisdell facilities to meet current standards of performance. Consultants Pacific Architects, Inc. and WCIT are handling architectural and engineering work.

Work on the various facilities is expected to continue through June 2024.

The former Hawaii International Center was built in 1965. The exhibition hall and administrative building were last renovated in 1992, but other areas of the campus are still using original equipment from 1964.

The arena is scheduled to be closed from May to November for improvements to its structural performance grid and safety railings; replacement of the perimeter entry and exit doors (which have been in place since 1964); renovations to public restrooms, including the addition of family restrooms; renovation of dressing rooms and other back-of-house facilities; and electrical and house lighting upgrades, including installation of LED house lighting.

The exhibition hall will undergo the replacement of air handling units; roof repairs; a complete renovation of Hawaii Suites meeting rooms (including telecommunication infrastructure); and renovations to the concession kitchen. The exhibition hall will be closed from July to August. The Hawaii Suites meeting rooms will be closed from April to October.

The concert hall is slated for the longest closure, from July 2023 to June 30, 2024. The hall will undergo improvements to the above-stage performance grid structure, repairs to areas of spalling concrete; roof replacement; replacement of cooling towers for air conditioning; fire-suppression system and electrical upgrades; and renovations to dressing rooms and other back-of-house facilities.

In addition, several campus-wide projects are scheduled, including walkway lighting upgrades, repaving of deteriorated areas of the parking lot, installation of new telecommunications infrastructure and a new trash compactor facility. These projects may affect access to certain areas of the campus.

The city warned that mobilization and supply chain issues could alter closure dates. 

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.