Capital markets won't commit to loans until six months before construction starts, he says.

Tentatively, the $268-million doubling of the size of the convention center would open in the fall of 2004 and the hotel would open in March 2005. If the city sticks to that schedule, the Bergers could line up financing in the second quarter of 2003.

But lenders need a specific opening date for the convention center, he says.

Berger says it would be "highly unusual" to have only one lender, but it would be equally as unusual to have more than five lenders.

"Generally speaking, banks usually don't like to hold more than $30 million in this kind of a deal, so that would mean we probably would end up with about five lenders," Berger tells GlobeSt.com.

Without union problems to worry about, Berger says he can get his team back in place for detailed architectural drawings and the preparation of other documents. The schematic, design/development, and construction drawings alone will cost millions of dollars, he said.

"And I'm working with 37 different consultants," he says.