One Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board member isn't enthralled with Don Barden's plans to delay construction of an outdoor amphitheater and other riverfront amenities at his North Shore casino.

In an interview yesterday, the board member, Sanford Rivers of Churchill, said he's not in favor of "a lot of delay" and wants to see the bulk of what Mr. Barden proposed in his bid for the city's sole slots license to be in place when the casino opens.

"That's owed to the city. If we were promised a world-class facility, then the expectations are that we will receive a world-class facility, something the city of Pittsburgh can be very proud of, and I expect that to happen," he said.

In a briefing before the planning commission Tuesday, Mr. Barden proposed to delay construction of the 1,000-seat amphitheater, boat docks and access paths for three years, to severely reduce the amount of brick paving on a riverfront promenade, and to make other modifications in a bid to save money and keep the project within its $780 million budget.

Although Mr. Barden had petitioned the seven-member gaming board in April to delay the amphitheater and construction of a casino ballroom, Mr. Rivers said he wasn't aware of many of the proposed changes until he read about them in the newspaper yesterday.

While Mr. Rivers said he couldn't speak for the board as a whole, he added that he personally wants to see Mr. Barden stick to the proposal he pitched to members before winning the license in December 2006 "as much as possible." That proposal included the amphitheater, the docks, and extensive riverfront landscaping and paths.

The various amenities, he said, were part of what made Mr. Barden's plan "something special" and helped to push it ahead of those of two other competitors for the Pittsburgh slots license.

While noting that he's "not trying to sabotage the guy," Mr. Rivers stressed that people are expecting Mr. Barden to produce "a first-class quality facility."

Mr. Rivers isn't the only one with concerns about the latest modifications to the casino. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wrote to the gaming board yesterday expressing reservations.

While Mr. Ravenstahl noted in his letter that he previously had supported the three-year delay in the amphitheater, he said he had concerns about the accompanying deferment of construction of the docks and access paths and the impact of other changes, like cutting back on the brick and the amount of trees and shrubs along the riverfront.

He said it was his responsibility "to ensure that the city of Pittsburgh and its citizens receive what was originally promised to us."

The Riverlife Task Force, which has accused Mr. Barden of cutting corners on the design, also wrote to the board yesterday, urging members to reject the proposed delays and modifications.

"Compromising on the amenities cited by the board in its favorable award of the gaming license to PITG [Mr. Barden's company] is not acceptable to the vision and plan for Pittsburgh's riverfronts," Riverlife attorney Cliff Levine wrote.

In response, casino spokesman Bob Oltmanns reiterated that the amphitheater, docks and access paths were not being eliminated, simply delayed.

"We are going to build the casino essentially as it was presented in December 2006. All we are requesting is a short delay in the construction of two exterior non-gaming related amenities from phase one to phase two," he said.

During yesterday's interview, Mr. Rivers also said he was "very, very, very concerned" about Mr. Barden's struggles to complete the casino's financing, an ordeal that led to a work stoppage Monday when he failed to deliver a $10 million payment for work completed in April and May.

The stoppage came even though Mr. Barden said he had reached agreement earlier that day with Walton Street Capital, headed by Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm, to invest $120 million in the casino, apparently completing the last piece of financing needed for the project.

"We're trying to give him every opportunity to get his finances together," Mr. Rivers said. "It seems like he has an equity partner coming into this and so we're encouraged by it. Naturally, I'm disappointed to see [the work] stop. What more can I say?"

Asked if he had regrets about awarding Mr. Barden the license, he said, "I can't answer that question. No one realized that what's happening today was going to happen at the time [of the award]. Everything we looked at was present. Our decision was predicated on all the information we had at that junction."