It was back on November 20, 2008 that 9News first reported plans were being finalized for an all-weather, on campus athletic practice facility with University of Cincinnati's football team as the primary tenant.
Artists' renderings showed a state-of-the-art, multi-use dome to be built at a cost in excess of $10 million on Jefferson Avenue. Just before they left for the Orange Bowl athletic department officials staged a photo-op with a hard-hatted Coach Brian Kelly and his team in front of the storage building that then occupied the site.
It was eventually knocked down, but aside from installation of security fences, there has been no activity at the site for months. In some ways, it resembles the devastation along Calhoun Street, where departed President Nancy Zimpher's ambition outran the resources to fulfill her vision.
The practice dome was one of the linchpins in Coach Kelly's grand plan to elevate U.C. into the upper echelon of college football. When his most recent contract extension was announced last month, 9News Sports Anchor Dennis Janson asked about the project, and he assured that it was on track.
'Was' is now the operative term. It has been sidetracked, and won't happen until 2010. If then. Originally it was to have been in place for the 2009 season, or the cost of buying out Kelly's contract would be reduced commensurately.
Perhaps Kelly, realizing there are finite dollars available, bit the bullet on the dome for one season in exchange for raises for his assistants and other infrastructure upgrades.
The bottom line though, is that what he once saw as an appropriate and necessary tool to prepare for what everyone hopes will be a long succession of BCS Bowl appearances, remains a paper strewn lot.
