The chairman of the Aloha Stadium Authority said yesterday a study has shown that locking the movable grandstands permanently in the football configuration would force baseball teams out but save thousands of dollars in maintenance and setup.

Once hailed as a state-ofthe-art multipurpose facility, the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium needs costly repairs to withstand another "20 to 30 years" of use, said Kevin Chong Kee, the Aloha Stadium Authority chairman.

Chong Kee yesterday provided highlights of a $300,000 study on the stadium's structural integrity and life span at the Exchange Club of Downtown Honolulu luncheon at Oahu Country Club.

Freezing the stadium in the football configuration would save the $80,000 it costs to reconfigure the grandstands every year, Chong Kee said.

If the stadium is frozen in football configuration, extra seating would likely be installed to fill in the gaps, Chong Kee said.

Concerns about the 30-year-old facility prompted lawmakers to fund the study, which was conducted by Wiss, Janney, Elstner and Associates Inc.

"Is it worth repairing it, or should we lock the stadium down?" said Chong Kee. "If there's no baseball, or something that can bring back the money, it's a loss."

The study includes an estimated cost of refurbishing the facility, the cost of building a new stadium, and the potential for modifications, such as luxury boxes. But Chong Kee did not disclose that information.

Bernie Wonneberger, manager and consultant of Wiss, Janney, Elstner and Associates, and state comptroller Russ Saito declined to offer estimates.

Preliminary findings from the study will be presented at the next Aloha Stadium Authority meeting on Thursday. A final report will be given to the Legislature in February. Officials have said they are leaning toward refurbishing the stadium rather than building a new one.

According to an Advertiser report in 2001, a 60,000-seat stadium in Hawai'i would cost in the $200 million to $300 million range, depending on amenities, shipping and transportation costs and on when it is built. The report quoted Scott Radecic, a 1983 All-America linebacker at Penn State, who now designs stadiums for Kansas City-based HOK sports, an international sports architectural firm.

Chong Kee said the condition of Aloha Stadium is "safe" and "it's just the wear and tear that has be repaired."

"Basically, the stadium structure is great," Chong Kee said.

He said the 8,000-stall parking lot needs to be repaved.

"It's a mess," Chong Kee said of the parking lot. "I think everyone who goes to the stadium knows it's a mess."

As part of the study, the possibility of luxury boxes was included as an option, according to Wonneberger.

"There were several options that ... could be done with the stadium — club seatings and so forth — just to see how they could perhaps enhance revenue," Wonneberger said.

Chong Kee said a new stadium could be built on the same property, next to the current stadium. He said he favored repairing the facility, and not building a new one, because "considering the price, it's better to repair."

The stadium hasn't had a professional baseball tenant since the Hawai'i Islanders moved to Colorado Springs in 1987.

Freezing the stadium's configuration would affect at least two baseball organizations. The Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu play baseball at Aloha Stadium. Hawai'i Pacific University also has used it in the past.

"We will have a field for this coming season," said Al Kam, owner of the Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League. "Later we will have to make a determination where we will play in subsequent years. We're committed to keeping the collegiate league here in Hawai'i."

Kam said alternatives would include playing at Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, or upgrading Ala Wai and Hans L'Orange fields.

Kam said O'ahu does not have enough quality baseball fields. In Arizona and Florida, there are complexes with one stadium and 12 fields.

Mid-Pacific Institute varsity baseball coach Dunn Muramaru said Aloha Stadium "is a nice place to play," and said an option would be to play games at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Of the seven ILH schools, only Iolani and Mid-Pacific have their own fields. Other fields the ILH uses besides Aloha Stadium are Ala Wai, Joey DeSa and the Central O'ahu park.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.