Major projects don’t happen overnight, but in the riverfront amphitheater’s case it’s been two years of repeated delays.

It’s unclear if the project’s ultimate deadline will ever be met, regardless of the number of date changes.

At the groundbreaking, in August 2012, Selma Mayor George Evans said the start of construction — Aug. 24 — was the fufillment of a 20 year dream. Though, in 2008 the city officially hired a firm to complete a master plan of the proposed Riverfront Park.

During the groundbreaking, government officials produced eloquent quotes and showed off a 3-D model of what Riverfront Park might look like.

Construction moved along steadily and it appeeared that the city might meet its goal of fall 2013 for final completion. By June 2013, the theater looked significantly different, but when considering the amount of work remaining, it was nearly impossible for the project to wrap up by fall 2013. So, the deadline pushed back to December 2013.

In October 2013, a major bidding error halted any chance of finishing by December.

“This isn’t just a whoops, my bad,” Planning and Development Director James Benderson said at the time. “This is kind of a big deal.”

After rejecting bids because of the error, talk about the project ceased until early 2014, when Selma Mayor George Evans said he was unhappy with the current architecture firm – Davis Architects. In March, he proposed a new company — Harris and Smith of Atlanta. The council rubber-stamped his suggestion and the city produced a new completion date — Dec. 15, 2014.

Most recently, Evans shifted his tone, unsure if December is feasible. In an email to the Times-Journal, Benderson said the project would likely take 180 days. Even if the project started today, construction wouldn’t be finished by the mayor’s December estimate.

At this point, the city has run out of excuses for further delays, which have threatened funding sources. The amphitheater needs to become a reality. Our fear is that a once-great dream has become a nightmare for the taxpayer-funded project.