University of Hawaii T.C. Ching Stadium Pt. 2

According to several sources, the current T.C. Ching Complex can hold up to 4,100 seats. Of those 4,100, the stadium grandstand seating is 2,500 seats–inferring the remaining 1,600 seats are the temporary bleachers on the opposite side of the field and/or include the 700 seats for the Beach Volleyball Competition areas.

Back in 2009, a Hawaii Athletics article said that the completion of this stadium would hold up to 5,000 seats. It would seem that the project may have been value engineered/downsized for any number of reasons.

Also, one of the original reasons the complex was required was because the NCAA threatened to decertify the Athletics due to lack of women’s sports facilities of which Ching is home to the Women Beach Volleyball, Women Soccer, Cross Country, and Men’s and Women Track and Field.

Considerations:
– Any intervention must not be at the loss of women’s sports accommodations.
– Track and field is a Women’s sport–Track must be maintained, but the seasons are not conflicting so temporary seating accommodations can be considered
– T.C. Ching Complex is LEED Gold Certification–interventions should approach with sustainability in mind.
– Aloha Stadium is under renovation, the solution should look to a life span of 3-5 years
– Future consideration is that the venue could be used to be a venue for local high school sports when Aloha Stadium is unavailable.

Program:
– According to NCAA standard, attendance must reach 15,000 at least once every two years (not sure if it applies in COVID times), so a seating increase of minimum 10,900 must be implemented.
According to this article:
– Turf will be replaced
– Speakers will be updated
– Scoreboard upgraded
– Press box upgraded
– Ticketing, Parking, Concessions, etc are being developed.

Conceptual Stadium Design

Go ‘Bows

-Duane