Creative imagination center on hold

It turns out that progress on the planned Arthur C. Clarke Center at UNLV was on hold long before the science fiction writer's death last week.

Clarke's foundation a few years ago announced its intention to create a $50 million to $75 million center, including an endowment, on campus, devoted to the creative imagination and the study of science, literature and the arts. UNLV would also likely be home to the science fiction icon's manuscripts.

But as of last week, fundraising for the center had not begun. A site had not been chosen. And UNLV hadn't heard much about the project lately.

"Development of the project has not moved forward since the time it was announced," said Dave Tonelli, a UNLV spokesman. "The project is stalled."

Tedson Meyers, chair of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, agreed little has been done, but said he fully expects the project to move forward eventually.

"The project was very close to his (Clarke's) heart," Meyers said. "It was something he believed in. There's no change to the plans."

Clarke co-wrote with director Stanley Kubrick the screenplay for "2001: A Space Odyssey," which was based on one of Clarke's short stories, and published more than 100 books.

Clarke also was recognized as a scientist and inventor.

He died Wednesday at 90 of a respiratory ailment at his home in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

UNLV architecture student teams in 2005 created environmentally friendly designs for the Clarke center, and Meyers at the time said the foundation planned to use those creations to seek donations toward building the center.

On Wednesday, he said fundraising and plans for the center have been stalled because of administration changes at UNLV and preoccupation with Clarke's health.

But Meyers said he plans to visit UNLV this spring to get things moving.

Clarke "left a very clear vision of what he wanted to achieve at the center," Meyers said, adding that Clarke was excited about building in Las Vegas.

"We always believed that if you're going to study human imagination, what better than a place built on human imagination."

Meyers insisted raising money for the center won't be a problem.

"Friends of Arthur's have been very supportive of the project," he said. "We haven't by any means run out of money nor patience."

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