By Blake Deshazo
The Selma Times-Journal

After a few years of delays, plan modifications and rebids, the Water Avenue Project is back on track.

Josh Pierce, project manager from Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, expects the project to start late November or early December and be completed by spring or early summer.

“We’re just ready to get going,” Pierce said. “There have been a couple of delays, and I’m glad that we’ve got some good bids and got a good contractor. We’re ready to get started and go to work and get it built.”

The contract was awarded to Frasier-Ousley Construction in Selma for a little more than $460,000, according to Mayor George Evans.

The total grant awarded to the city of Selma was for $500,000, with $100,000 of that amount coming from the city.

“We had to rebid this project because it came in way over budget, about $200,000. So we had to go back to the drawing board,” Evans said.

The original project, which called for the side of Water Avenue from Broad Street to Church Street to match the other side, has changed since its inception.

“It’s going to look very similar to what was done on the east side of Broad Street there by the Interpretive Center and the revitalization work that we did a few years ago there,” Pierce said. “We’re not relocating utilities underground though. That is the only difference. All utilities above grade are going to stay above grade … so there is still going to be some poles and some wires everywhere.”

This project will include new sidewalks, landscaping, parking and curbing.

Pierce said they are in the process of executing the contract with Frasier-Ousely, and expects a pre-construction conference to be held in the coming weeks.

One concern people had was how the construction would affect businesses along Water Avenue, but Charlie Morgan, who owns Charlie’s Place, doesn’t think it will be much of an issue.

“It’s probably going to affect [business] a little bit as far as the entrance into the building for a short period of time, but they’ve also said they would make any arrangements where we could get to the door,” Morgan said. “Then again, we’ve got the backdoor that we can bring people in. It may affect us a little bit, but I don’t think it’s going to be a drastic affect.”

Morgan said he is excited to see the work completed.

“I think it is going to be a big improvement,” Morgan said. “I think it can open up for other people to come down here and start using Water Avenue. I’d love to see that, more and more taking place over here.”