Assembly Hall renovation will be done in stages so Illini can stay home

While Guenther admitted the economic downturn pushed back the timetable up to six months, the delay isn't indefinite, he said. By working on the project in stages over three years, Guenther said, it would keep the Illini home and perhaps help with any question over financing.

"Maybe we can bite this thing off in chunks,'' Guenther said. "The question is how far back is it delayed. We're pushing forward like we're on target. In a perfect world, we couldn't get started until 2010. It might be back six months. It might be three. It's not pushed back indefinitely.''

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