National Sports Centre (NSC) trustees yesterday unveiled plans for the long-awaited multi-million-dollar Centre Core, boasting international-standard facilities.

Highlighting various aspects of the multi-purpose complex, board of trustees chairman Dr. Gerard Bean and architect Bob Johnston both noted the Centre Core would house changing rooms built to International Cricket Council (ICC) and FIFA ? football?s world-governing body ? stipulations.

In addition, responding to comments about the size of changing rooms in the North Field Pavilion and in the Grandstand, Bean stressed neither changing area was ever earmarked for international sport but rather for general locker and change space for community and general-programme functions?.

Also, he recalled that cricket was originally to be headquartered at Lord?s in St. David?s or White Hill in Somerset.

?The pavilion where we now stand was never intended to be used for international cricket. The grandstand dressing rooms were never for international football. From the inception in 1996 all the facilities for international sport were to be in the Centre Core,? said Bean, addressing a Press conference at the North Field Pavilion.

Focusing on the Centre Core, he listed a triple-court gymnasium with seating for 3,000, an aquatic centre with a 50-metre competition pool and a four-floor reception building featuring a sports medicine and cardiac rehabilitation clinic as the three primary components.

There will also be a media gallery with provisions for newspaper, television and radio personnel; VIP seating and private boxes overlooking both the North Field and the gymnasium; a large food court, conference rooms and offices.

The aquatic arena will also house a ?lifestyle? pool for therapy and exercise, a hot tub and a water slide.

By the trustees? own admission, the NSC ?has been 35 years in the making? and fundamental questions about the Centre Core?s start and potential progress left more questions than answers.

Pressed on a start date for this key element of the Frog Lane project, Bean limited his reply to: ?We are working very actively with Government to establish a start date.?

However, when it was pointed out that, up until a month ago, they were slated to have the property ready for the 2007 Cricket World Cup?s warm-up matches, he disclosed they had ?a schedule of 32 months? for that.

He also declined to give a cost estimate, saying ?we are putting the final figures together at this time . . . and we are not prepared to announce a ballpark figure at this time?.

Whenever finished, Bean said he expected the Centre Core to defray the expenses which sports organisations now incur to use the facility.

?The Centre Core is going to do a lot to defray those costs. We are working with people to set up policies, programmes and financial criteria for this facility to work.

?We will have people promoting the Centre Core locally and overseas. We will be seeing after trade shows and conventions,? he continued.

He added that only 25-40 percent of activities at the NSC would be sport-based, the majority would be community and entertainment-based.

Thus far, gospel concerts, international soccer and the Carifta Games have drawn the biggest audiences at the NSC.