Plans to build a Special Olympics training facility in Anne Arundel County have been put on hold - and the county's agreement with the nonprofit organization jeopardized - due to concerns that local officials wouldn't be able to come up with the money to build their half of the project.

Mark P. Huston, a member of the Special Olympics of Maryland board of directors, said Friday that the group might look to strike a deal with another central Maryland jurisdiction now that Anne Arundel officials have decided to delay the project indefinitely because of budget constraints.

Huston stressed, however, that the board has not abandoned the Anne Arundel site.

"We are still hopeful we can work it out in Anne Arundel County," Huston said. "But if someone comes to us and says, 'We have a great site for you,' we will have to look at it."

Anne Arundel County teamed with the Special Olympics - which was founded in Maryland - in February to build the facility for training disabled athletes, which officials said would be the first of its kind in the nation. The complex, which would draw athletes from around the state, would include two pools, a gymnasium, track and ball fields.

County officials, who with Special Olympics representatives announced last month that the project would be delayed because of cost concerns, said Friday that they want to keep the project local.

"Our vision is to ultimately have the Special Olympics facility at that site," said Dennis Callahan, the county's director of recreation and parks, referring to an East Park property that the county purchased several years ago with a public swimming pool in mind. "My understanding is that we are both working toward the same goal."

So far, the county has spent about $2 million, including the cost of the land, on the training center, which was promoted as a benefit for residents and Special Olympics athletes. The site was chosen partially because of its central location off Interstate 97 near Route 100.

Callahan said that other obstacles besides funding contributed to the county's decision to delay the project. Factors included the local subdivision process, which Callahan called "nightmarish," and skyrocketing construction costs - the estimated cost of the pool facility jumped from $12 million to $20 million.

"It just started spinning out of control," Callahan said of the project, which had been set for completion in 2005. "That and then the state's economy went south."

State officials anticipate a $1.8 billion deficit over the next two years. Given the economic forecast, Callahan said that officials from both sides agreed it was best to delay the project, the total cost of which has risen from about $25 million to as much as $40 million.

"It's such a wonderful project, but it just wasn't financially feasible at this point," said Patricia Krebs, Special Olympics Maryland president and chief executive officer. "When the economy is better, our intention is to proceed full steam ahead."

In the meantime, county officials could proceed with a simpler pool plan, said Callahan. The county's only public swimming pool is in Annapolis. Callahan said he has asked architects to propose a scaled-back version of a swimming complex that was designed as part of the Special Olympics training center. That plan called for two pools, one for lap swimming and one for recreational activities.

"The pool is very high on our list of priorities," said Callahan.

Special Olympics officials recently hired an architectural and engineering firm to help design the gym, track and ball fields. They also secured a consultant to help launch a capital campaign to raise about $8 million. Huston said he and other board members might set a start date for the campaign in a month or two.

"We still have a long-term goal of building a facility of this nature," he said. "We are still very optimistic."