When the Stegeman Coliseum renovation was completed in 2011, the $13 million project brought the exterior and concourse out of the arena out of the ’60s. It was a significant improvement that went along with earlier work to the seating bowl and the addition of the Coliseum Training Facility to all but eliminate talk of a new arena.

But as soon as 7 months after the completion of the project, several of the large glass panes that made up the stunning exterior of the renovated coliseum < a href="http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2012-08-10/officials-want-know-why-glass-panels-break-stegeman-coliseum">began cracking. Though the broken panes were replaced, the north and south entrances to the arena have remained covered with unsightly scaffolding and protective barricades while the contractor figured out the reason for the broken panes. Though the protective structures have kept patrons entering and exiting Stegeman Coliseum safe since the problem was discovered, the centerpiece of the Coliseum improvements has looked like a perpetual construction zone.

The good news is that there are signs of progress. The Red & Black reports that the scaffolding could come down “in the next few weeks.” Choate Construction, the contractor responsible for the renovation, believes that they may be close to proposing a solution. At worst, it seems as if the scaffolding will be down before basketball season comes around again.

The not-so-good news is that there is still uncertainty about the safety of the glass going forward. The Red & Black added, “Choate said he thinks they have narrowed down what caused the glass to break in the past but they are still trying to determine if the glass is a risk to students and patrons in the future.”