After several years of anticipation, Selma’s Riverfront Amphitheater will be finished within a few weeks’ time.

According to Planning and Development Director James Benderson, the amphitheater is expected to be completed at the end of April, making it ready just in time for the summer.

In a previous Times-Journal article, Benderson said he originally expected the amphitheater’s construction to be completed by the end of February, but the contractors were hit with a few delays.

“There were some delays attributed to cold days and wet days,” Benderson said. “We also had to wait on a structural steel issue.”

Benderson said the contractors have been working weekends and extra hours to finish the project as soon as possible. But weather and structural issues aren’t the only delays that have pushed the completion date back.

An incorrect dollar amount for the construction’s insurance policy in October 2013 held up the theater for some time, and it was almost held up again in August 2014 when bids came in at higher prices than expected.

Rather than rejecting the bids, the Selma City Council accepted the lowest bid from Cooper Construction, which was more than $1 million, and agreed to renegotiate part of the construction plans to lower the price to $965,000.

The amphitheater, which includes a canopy, lighting, concrete stage and other features, will play host to various events once completed.

“We plan to have programs and events,” said Mayor George Evans. “There are a lot of things [the city] can use it for. We hope to have big programs that will bring music, dancing, singing and things like that.”

With the amphitheater’s completion on the horizon, the city will soon begin the planning process.

“We weren’t planning anything until we knew it was going to be completed and everything was ready to go,” Evans said. “Hopefully by summer time, we hope to have something going on.”

Benderson said the city plans to promote the amphitheater as a destination for people to come and enjoy concerts and other performances. In a time where Selma has seen an increased amount of tourism, Evans hopes the theater will bring even more people to Selma, which will increase the tax base.

“The amphitheater can be very beneficial to the city because of tax dollars from people staying in the hotels and buying food,” Evans said. “It is a means of tourism and revenue, as well as entertainment.”