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The Center - funded by the Mexican Government was supposed to have opened from February of 2018, and we're now coming up on February of 2020 - and it's still not opened! So on Friday, we asked Jones, when will it actually be opened? - and in the procerss, we unearthed a whole lot about what's causing the delays:

Reporter
"When will that be available for use and rental?"

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"Soon enough."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"Is it true that there are critical failures on the contractor's part and UNOPS part in delivering that facility?"

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"No, no Jules."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"I know that there was a problem with the court, Mr. Jones."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"The issue with the court was that there were…it wasn't even, it wasn't leveled. I inspected the court, I am…"

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"You have no training..."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"No, I do have training in that."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"You have training in sports management."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"As well as facility management. I do have turning in facility management. It was actually myself who walked the court and started to find the dead spots. And I, I informed the project manager that, listen, there may be an issue with this court. That is when they decided to rip up the court to find out what was the issue. The problem was the wood that was being used for the underbase, just like everything else in Belize, you purchase lumber, they give you a guarantee, you use it then the lumber starts to warp. So they had to change out all of those. The imported lumber which was the bamboo for the court itself, those were intact, those were proper. Bamboo was used because of the climate that we have."

"But one of the major delays at the facility has been because of the procurement process in terms of equipment. UNOPS has specific procurement processes and the reason why the facility isn't open right now is because of sporting equipment."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"When will it be open?"

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"The facility should be open for January 2020."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"Inshallah."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"It should be open for January 2020,"

We also got to ask Jones generally about the administration of the project - which - with two years of delays - we'd say has left a whole lot to be desired.

The Mexican gave the United Nations Office for Project Services, known as UNOPS a little less than give million US dollars to manage and deliver the project. Their involvement meant no political palm greasing and hanky panky and kickbacks. But, the project has gone through numerous delays, and we asked Jones if UNOPS is to blame.

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"When UNOPS came on, I was so happy. I said well all them thieving UDP hustlers who have to get their cut here and there, that makes Marion Jones Stadium cost 20 million dollars - all that done, because UNOPS is between Mexico and UNOPS and the project supervisor - so none of them could grease their hands. But when you look at how much UNOPS charges as their administration fee and when you look at the difficulties, and I'm being kind, that they've had. Man, its better you did it the PUDP way and everybody get a little cut. It has to be a disappointment."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"Jules, I know nothing of which you speak of, so I can't comment on any of that. What I can comment on is that the project has remained within budget, has not exceeded the original budget. Yes, there has been delays in terms of the extent of the time it was supposed to be handed over."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"There have been material defects. That's a disappointment."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"Yes, but with every single public contract, with every single facility that is built, the contractor is liable up to a certain period of time. And that will happen. it has happen in many instances."

Jules Vasquez. Reporter
"For an internationally monitored project..."

Ian Jones, Director of Sports
"Look at it Jules, if it was not internationally monitored, that floor would have remained the same. The building would have been handed over to the sports council and then it would have become our problem. No, it was detected the project's completion and it was remedied."