Architects and engineers working on the design of the 73,000-seat stadium are having difficulties with a number of issues, among them the retractable roof and roll-out field.

On the roof, the designers are challenged on how to get the giant steel supports in place without obstructing air traffic. The stadium itself will rise more than 220 feet from ground level, and much taller cranes would be needed to put them in place. But because the stadium is in the flight path of Sky Harbor International Airport, any object taller than 200 feet must be reviewed by the FAA.

The stadium will be the first in the nation and the second in the world to have a roll-out field that allows natural sunlight for grass, but that kind of design is presenting some problems. The field will sit in a tray 400 ft. long and about 184 ft. wide, which isn't wide enough to accommodate a full sideline. It was discovered that there isn't room outside for the series of interlocking pallets that will sit next to the field and serve as the sideline space, so a new solution has to be devised. That solution could involve rotating the entire stadium and lowering the floor by another 14 feet.

Rather than bury the Grand Canal, which runs just to the south of the stadium site, Tempe wants to create a parklike setting that could attract visitors and, in turn, restaurants and other amenities. To do so, the federally owned canal will have the be rerouted, which requires a review by the Bureau of Reclamation. That review could take a little as a few weeks or months, depending on the complexity of the proposed changes.

The Tourism and Sports Authority, which will own and operate the stadium, must produce a final design plan before designer-builder Hunt Construction signs a contract and begins site preparation. Hunt has promised to absorb any cost overruns on the construction and, therefore, wants a detailed design outlining every element.

The design difficulties can be overcome and won't result in any missed deadlines, according to Ted Ferris, president /CEO of the Tourism and Sports Authority, which will own and operate the stadium. The design process is taking longer than expected, but that the design is critical in avoiding costly overruns and changes later on, Ferris says.

The groundbreaking remains scheduled for August. The construction schedule calls for the stadium to be ready to play in by the start of the 2004 NFL season.

The stadium site is at the northeast corner of Priest Drive and the Red Mountain Freeway in Tempe, just northwest of the Tempe Town Lake.