CedarBridge, the Bermuda College and Tynes Bay Incinerator pale in comparison to those which affect the country's most delayed undertaking...the National Centre.

If ever there was a political hot potato, this is it. Premiers and Sports Ministers have come and gone, and so too has the UBP Government, under whose watch the project began.

It's been about 14 years since the old National Stadium pavilion was demolished and the popular eastern bank replaced with unpopular seats, but still Bermudians wait for the 25-acre site to be fully developed.

Seven years have passed since Bermuda hosted World Cup qualifying matches in less than ideal conditions.

Plans have long been finalised for the Centre, and are impressive, but the facility which had been promised to make locals proud is still years from completion.

This week Donald Lines and Charlie Marshall, chairman and deputy chairman respectively of the board of trustees who were appointed in March 1993 to oversee the completion of the multi-million dollar project, responded to ongoing criticism on the delays.

And while both were careful not to promise a completion date, the pair are happy to see that work will begin again soon.

In fact work will start in the new year to remove old, temporary storage buildings on the south-western corner of the national stadium to make room for the also temporary changing facilities which will move to the vacated space.

Workers are also beginning to move 14,000 cubic yards of soil which sits west of the northern field, of which 7,000 will remain on site and the rest moved to other locations. The western bleachers will also be moved to make way for the grand stand.

"That will go out for bid and work will start in March-April,'' said Marshall during a tour of the site.

"Assuming we get a reasonable bid,'' Lines interjected.

"The last thing we had a bid for was the pavilion and for a 5,000 square foot building we were quoted numbers like $3 million, $2.5 million.'' Added Marshall: "Three hundred and twenty five dollars a square foot was the cheapest and 700 was the most expensive.

"The bids for the grand stand will go out in January.'' It is planned the area between the old national stadium and the Frog Lane end of the complex will have a gymnasium in a three level building seating up to 5,000. It will be available for other functions and include a 50-metre pool, a cultural centre and offices to accommodate the Island's sports governing bodies. But all of that has been put on hold while the grand stand takes preference.

"We want to make sure that this whole complex has the ability to accommodate young families,'' said Lines.

Disclosed Marshall: "The NBA is interested in coming to Bermuda and wants to develop basketball around the world like soccer. They've already been here and had discussions with Government and ourselves about this facility and temporary facilities at the base that they might use.

"They need to be able to sit 5,000 people because they want to start a summer professional league and Bermuda has been earmarked as one of the places.'' As the pair stood on the site of the previous Bermuda College and looked down on what used to be the old Frog Lane field, they spoke of additional plans which included parking for 400 cars and 500-600 bikes. For major events there will be additional parking at CedarBridge and even Devonshire Rec.

The cricket pavilion on the western end of the northern field will be dual purpose, serving both cricket and the netball courts which will be located in the northwestern corner, close to the former Devon Lane School site.

Lines and Marshall also spoke of the trustees purchasing supplies directly from manufacturers so as to save on mark-ups.

"What people don't appreciate is that when the new Government came in last November the first thing they did in January was meet with us and we reset our priorities,'' said Lines.

"We had an agreement with the previous Government to continue with the main development but they (new Government) said they wanted the southern field finished first. They asked us, as a matter of priority, to plan the western stands which hadn't even been planned, so for the past year we've been putting the plans together.

"It's a community facility rather than a simple sports facility, because if you build it for just a few people you can't justify it. There aren't enough elite athletes in Bermuda.'' Laying the foundations: Donald Lines (left) and Charlie Marshall cast their eyes over the location for the National Centre swimming pool