It was hoped the doors of the multi-million pound centre, which will be called the Towner and will be a modern art gallery with space for other cultural events, would have been thrown open to the public in the next few weeks. But the opening date has now been put back until the New Year.
The latest delay means the state-of-the-art centre next to the Congress Theatre in Carlisle Road is now 18 months behind schedule. The new setback is being blamed on a 'snagging list' which the builders have been asked to put right before the building can be officially handed over to Eastbourne Borough Council.
One of those snags is the flooring on the second floor which is having to be relaid. Once the handover takes place, the centre will be fitted out and works of art installed.
Council chiefs insisted this week although the delays were frustrating, they were optimistic the opening date would be in January or February.
The council's housing, health and community services spokesperson, Councillor Margaret Bannister, said this week, "We are delighted with the new Towner which is now almost complete, but in common with all new buildings there is a snagging list which is currently being addressed.
"Unfortunately it means that we have to delay the opening until January and this is very disappointing.
"However, we are sure that everyone will agree when it does open to the public that it has been worth the wait.
"We want to ensure that the building is of the highest quality so that we can all enjoy this fantastic new facility.
"It's a shame that we will now have to wait until January for the official opening. However, I am sure that everyone will appreciate that we are not prepared to sacrifice quality at this late stage.
"While further delays are obviously frustrating, we are becoming increasingly excited as the new Towner building finally nears completion."
The centre replaces the Towner Art Gallery in Old Town, which has been sold and will be converted into flats.
It has been built at a cost of around £8.5 million with money coming from the council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, SEEDA and the Arts Council.
The Towner Trust, a registered charity, has also been set up to raise £1.6 million still needed.
But the building has been dogged by setbacks and delays since construction began in October 2005. It was originally scheduled to open in autumn 2007 and then put back to spring 2008.
When open, the centre will house the much-loved permanent Towner collection of paintings and there will also be multi-purpose conference and exhibition halls, an art store, two community rooms and an art research room, a cafe with a terrace and a gallery shop.
Councillor Bannister added, "We look forward to finally displaying our art collection properly to the public as well as to hosting national and international exhibitions. We are committed to opening our doors to the widest possible audience."