New Cincinnati Stadium Behind Schedule

The University of Cincinnati has announced that its new Myrl Shoemaker Center basketball arena will not be finished in time to be used this season.

The university said it will continue to use Cincinnati Gardens for its men’s basketball games and the Armory Fieldhouse for women’s varsity games this season. Athletic director Carl Meyer said construction of the $30 million, 13,300-seat arena should be completed in April.

The switch to the old sites will not require any scheduling changes, Meyer said.

The university had originally planned to play its 1988-89 home games in the Shoemaker Center, named for the late former Ohio lieutenant governor. University officials announced in June, however, that the center would not be ready for an envisioned opening game in December against Kentucky.

Delays in awarding construction contracts have caused the problems, officials said.