An ambitious plan to build one of the largest sport and exercise facilities in the area has been temporarily shelved, the project developer said.

Doug Leppert, a local resident and main planner behind the 137,500-square-foot New England Superdome approved in late 2007, said he’s put the endeavor on hold after being unable to secure financing for the venture. The decision, which was made official a few weeks ago on the project’s official Web site, makes the New England Superdome one of the most high-profile projects in Auburn to be affected by the economic downturn.

On Jan. 8, Leppert stressed the plan will go forward as soon as soon as the region’s financial prospects shape up. As recently as April, Leppert said he was optimistic about completing the project by the start of 2009, but he said this month that project officials have been unable to obtain the estimated $6.5 million in financing to back the effort.

“We’re still working through it ... but (the economy) is the only reason why it hasn’t been built yet,” Leppert said. “It’s hard to get financing right now because of the economic conditions. It’s taking longer because of what’s happening right now, but we’re optimistic it will get completed.”

In early 2007, Leppert put forward the application for the 78-foot-high air-filled dome, and the final configuration of the plan included a large assortment of athletic and exercise areas, including a running track, soccer fields, a mini-golf course and four basketball courts. The project was finally given conditional approval in October 2007 to be built on a 14-acre site inside Route 28’s industrial zone.

Because more than a year has elapsed between the time of conditional approval and no major site work has taken place, Leppert said he plans to file an extension before building the project. Typically, planning boards give an applicant one year to start work when a project is approved.

Auburn Town Administrator Bill Herman said the project’s hiatus did not come as a surprise in light of the nation’s poor economy. He added that the slowdown is being seen in other ways as well, such as local residents’ home-building projects, which have slowed to only one or two per year for the past two years, and he said the local market will likely improve when the nation‘s financial picture perks up.

“And it will probably get worse before it gets better,” he said. “(Billionaire investor) Warren Buffett was suggesting it could be four years before we’re close to a somewhat normal economy, and he’s a pretty sharp guy.”

Leppert said he will begin the approximately six-to-eightmonth construction project as soon as he has backing.