The current price tag on the overdue Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex has risen to $16.7 million — $3 million more than the University of Hawaii’s last estimate, auditors told a Board of Regents committee Wednesday.

Glenn Shizumura, director of UH’s Office of Internal Audit, told the Committee on Independent Audit that design changes, change orders, weather, redeployment of workers to head off the threat of NCAA sanctions, and discovery of asbestos contributed to the delay and cost.

The projected overrun includes $1.1 million in change order proposals "not yet approved and change order proposals that are anticipated but not yet prepared," according to the audit report. In addition, the report cited at least 248 days in delays and said there were 31 post-construction design revisions.

"From $10 million to $13 million and then to $16 million, that’s terrible — terrible," regent Barry Mizuno said.

The report anticipates a "completion date of April-May 2014."

In one instance, the report said, "(city) code violation comments required revisions to the design of the bleacher guardrails" and "approval of the railing design took one year to resolve due to concerns about cost, safety and method of construction."

The rails are to be installed next month, the report said.

In another case, regents were told, there was a six-month delay over whether to include or delete a canti­lever canopy.

The Ching Complex, on the site of the former Cooke Field, which was constructed in 1915 for $1,500, is to be the home of the school’s women’s track and field, cross country, soccer and sand volleyball teams. It also will be used as a practice field for football and home for intramurals and community events. Grandstands are to seat 2,500. There are two sand volleyball courts with seating for 800.

The facility is named for the late developer and UH fan whose foundation pledged $5 million in 2008. It remains the largest single gift to the UH athletic department and was originally to be matched by $5 million from school and state funds for a 2010 or 2011 opening.

But despite a 2009 dedication, the facility has been plagued by delays to the point where the NCAA withheld full certification of UH athletics in 2012 until key elements of the complex were constructed to bring the school into compliance with its Title IX time frame.

Last year, faced with the latest in a series of missed deadlines, the NCAA told UH its teams and athletes could be banned from championship events if the locker rooms and coaches offices weren’t ready for occupancy by Jan. 28. A temporary certificate of occupancy was received Jan. 8 and the NCAA agreed to certify UH.

After being told the project would not meet its then-Dec. 31, 2013, deadline or $13.3 million budget, the committee then ordered an audit in November.

The audit found fault in several instances with the project’s manager, Manoa’s Office of Facilities and Grounds, noting: "Certain reasons such as the discovery of asbestos in underground conduits were unforseen. However, more comprehensive design plan reviews and increased and timely collaboration by OFG and its service providers with respect to construction expectations and costs could have reduced the number of delay days and cost overruns."

The report said the athletic department was not consulted on some design changes "and did not understand the purpose of the change given they approved the original design."

In addition, regents chairman John Holzman said he was "flabbergasted" to discover that the athletic department wasn’t told until April 2013 that the project was so far behind schedule.

The report said: "Internal audit was unable to determine what steps, if any, were taken to get the construction of the complex back on track from both a timing and cost perspective. Accordingly, as ‘owner’ of the project, OFG should consider being more active and aggressive when managing and monitoring the construction schedule and construction costs, including their oversight of construction managers."

The audit suggested OFG be given "funding that will allow OFG to employ personnel to perform duties of a construction manager, thereby increasing OFG’s control and management of this function in addition to reducing overall project costs."

The funds to make up the cost overruns fall under campus capital improvements and are not expected to come from already-depleted athletic department monies.