Roanoke's Victory Stadium was so named in 1942 in hopes of an Allied triumph in World War II.

But these days, its proud name doesn't reflect the city-owned stadium's less-than-stellar condition, especially when it comes to accessibility for people with disabilities, according to a recently released engineering report.

Ironically, a stadium that's hosted Special Olympics events has no handicapped-accessible bathroom stalls.

Christene Montgomery, chairwoman of the Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, said people with handicaps have long known about Victory Stadium's accessibility shortcomings.

"Anyone who has a disability who wants to go to the stadium says that," she said. Montgomery added that she doesn't really blame the city for the 63-year-old stadium's problems, mainly because the facility was built decades before more stringent handicapped-accessibility standards were adopted.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act didn't go into effect until 1990 - not long before Roanoke leaders started the city's continuing journey to decide Victory Stadium's fate.

The city's long-running debate has essentially tied Victory Stadium up in some form of a planning process for years, which makes it harder for high-dollar ADA improvements to be made to a facility with an uncertain future, Montgomery said.

However, Montgomery said she is confident the city will follow the ADA and provide 21st-century handicapped accessibility no matter if it involves a Victory Stadium renovation or the construction of a new facility.

Over the past two decades as the stadium issue gradually heated to a boil, the city has spent some money on Band-Aid-type upkeep of the 24,000-seat stadium, including handicapped accessibility. Assistant City Manager Chip Snead said a small, four-space wheelchair area was built in the stadium six or seven years ago.

But that area was pinpointed for its deficiencies in the $67,000 engineering report completed by several consultants hired by the city's Stadium Study Committee.

The report says the four wheelchair spaces are 120 fewer than what's required by the ADA for a facility Victory Stadium's size, and the existing handicapped-seating construction doesn't meet ADA standards.

In addition to the underbuilt wheelchair spaces and lack of handicapped-accessible bathrooms, the main concrete ramps into the stadium stands are too steep and have other ADA deficiencies. The engineering report points out that the four-space handicapped-seating area wouldn't meet federal regulations even if it had been built correctly because the ramps leading to it are not in compliance with ADA.

Also, the stadium's handicapped-seating area would have been required to meet ADA standards when it was constructed. It was unclear Wednesday if the city knew of the requirement or if it ever consulted with ADA representatives at the time.

Anita Cameron is a member of Washington, D.C.'s Mayor's Committee for the Disabled and she's also a spokeswoman for national American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today.

When informed of Victory Stadium's listed deficiencies, Cameron made mention of the existing wheelchair spaces and then said, "You'd think they would have thought about the state of the bathrooms, too."

The ADA requirements will be part of Roanoke's stadium improvement, whether it's a renovated Victory Stadium or a new facility. The ADA includes a section on requirements for new stadiums, and any renovation of an existing stadium must adhere to the federal law, too, said Eric Holland, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, which enforces the ADA.

The estimated cost of ADA-related improvements to a Victory Stadium renovation was not included in the recent engineering report, but it would likely be in the millions of dollars.

An elevator, for instance, could be required for handicapped access to the stadium's press box. Salem recently decided to install an elevator in its football stadium at a cost of $325,000. Salem's facility is about half the size of Victory Stadium.

The ADA deficiencies were a main reason that one of the study committee's most fervent Victory Stadium supporters decided to drop his support of a renovation. Jan Wilkins said it's obvious to him that the stadium would have to be altered in numerous ways to support the ADA requirements and it would likely diminish its architectural appearance. Wilkins says it would make more sense to incorporate handicapped accessibility in the construction of a new stadium.

Committee member Dick Kepley feels differently and continues to fight for Victory Stadium. He says it can be renovated - with ADA improvements - for a reasonable cost. Kepley said the stadium could qualify for historic status and be eligible for tax credits to reduce renovation expenses. But because the city hasn't started that process, it could take years to qualify.

Holland, the Department of Justice spokesman, said that different types of tax breaks and ADA-promoting incentives are offered by the federal government.

The study committee is scheduled to make a stadium recommendation to Roanoke City Council in the next few weeks.