BLAISDELL CENTER MASTER PLAN
The City and County of Honolulu owns and operates the 22.4-acre Neal S. Blaisdell Center in the heart of urban Honolulu. The Neal S. Blaisdell Center complex includes a multi-purpose arena, an exhibition hall, a concert hall, meeting rooms, and structured parking. It is a gathering place for performances and community events. Most facilities on the site were built in 1964, so they are facing increasing maintenance and renovation needs and were not designed to meet the demands of today’s users.
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center complex is situated in the Kakaako Community Development District and several blocks from a future rail transit station. This area is experiencing tremendous change and development, with thousands of new multifamily housing units being planned or constructed nearby. Adjacent neighborhood assets include, but are not limited to, historic Thomas Square Park, the Honolulu Museum of Art (and Museum of Art School), McKinley High School, and several medical institutions. Although currently isolated destinations, there is potential for revitalization of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center to catalyze a cohesive and attractive arts and cultural district.
To explore the future of the site, the City had prepared a master plan for a renewed cultural and entertainment complex. This planning effort involved extensive stakeholder and public involvement, incorporated myriad technical studies, and was assisted by a world-class design team. The result was a plan and conceptual design to renovate the arena and concert hall, build a new exhibition hall and parking structures, and create new public and commercial spaces on the site. Implementation of this plan would require significant investment by the City and its partners over many years to achieve its full vision. Recognizing these factors, the City is instead proceeding with various renovations to the campus that will provide more near-term improvements (note that master plan illustrations on this page are for reference only).
SITE VISIONING
Anchoring the King Street and Kapiolani Boulevard edges of the site, the existing concert hall and arena stand as the two most identifiable and historically significant elements of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center complex. Although outdated compared to industry standards and needing repair, the exterior character and general function of both venues create the opportunity to renovate and restore the two structures. Retaining the two structures preserves the visible identity of the complex and links the future of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center to its storied past.
Beyond the existing program, master planning had recommended roughly doubling the current amount of program area on site, utilizing both indoor and outdoor space. This additional area would not only supplement the existing venues, such as the arena, concert hall, and exhibition hall, but also provide several new facilities, including a new 2,500-seat sports pavilion, a 1,500-seat performance hall, a 35,000-square foot arts ensemble, and approximately 25,000 square feet of commercial space for on-site dining and a satellite city hall. For more information on this exploratory long-term visioning, see the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Master Plan document below.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Blaisdell Center Master Plan Final Environmental Assessment – June 2019
Blaisdell Center Master Plan – March 2018
Feasibility Study & Conceptual Land Use Plan – Fall 2016
Summary of Existing Conditions – June 2015
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A: Master plan improvements are not moving forward. Instead, renovation work to the Arena, Concert Hall, Exhibition Hall, and Hawaii Suites meeting rooms has already begun, with completion anticipated by June 2024. The current renovation schedule is available at Blaisdell Center Closures for Construction.
A: Only select facilities will likely be closed during each stage of renovation so that others can remain open. This approach will allow certain events to continue to be hosted on different portions of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center complex.
A: Renovations are intended to address health, safety, and deferred maintenance, and meet current standards of performance. Campus improvements to public areas include walkway lighting upgrades and paving deteriorated areas of the parking lot. In addition, adjacent street improvements have incorporated bike lanes on Ward Avenue.
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