IRONMAN would like a break on the rent it pays to use Kailua Pier.
The $60,000 that the IRONMAN World Championships pay to use the pier for four days would be cut in half, under a request that the state Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider on Friday.
It is not clear why IRONMAN — which was purchased by a Chinese company last month — is seeking the reduction. IRONMAN officials and media representatives did not respond to calls and emails Tuesday and Wednesday. The request is not a recurrent one, said Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The races uses 60,000 square feet of the pier for storage of bikes and other equipment during the triathlon’s transition stages. The grueling, 140.6-mile endurance race has taken place in Kona since 1981.
Dalian Wanda Group bought World Triathlon Corp. from Rhode Island-based Providence Equity Partners in late August for $650 million. A rapidly growing enterprise, WTC operates 250 events worldwide and generates $183 million in revenue a year.
“Because of the benefits that the event brings to Hawaii Island and the fact that the full rent of $60,000 could put an undue hardship on the event, we request a 50 percent reduction in rent,” said Ed Underwood, administrator of the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, in a submittal to the board.
The BLNR will take up the request at its regular meeting in Honolulu.