Rain, rain, can you please go away? That’s what local developers and builders must be saying during what has become a wet and nasty fall and winter season.

While rain is just about always considered better than drought, wet weather is not your friend if you are one who constructs buildings. For example, weather has slowed the construction timeline of the Hampton Inn on Selma’s growing west side.

While it’s a setback to see the construction process slowed, it is exciting to see all the growth and development in this area. The Hampton Inn, when finished, will be a nice attraction.

A couple of years ago, not much existed in this area west of town, but now we are seeing the vision of some sharp developers turn into what is fast-becoming an asset for Selma.

In addition to the Hampton Inn, the Highway 80 and Highway 14 intersection is home to the Crossroads Exxon complex. The Central Alabama Farmer’s Co-op is also working on a new home that will be across from the Exxon station.

While the rains have also slowed the Co-op’s construction, this needs to be viewed as a minor setback. The construction in this area is real and something that should continue for the next few years as more and more business open or relocate here.

While the Exxon station, Hampton Inn and Co-op are prominent for Highway 80, a growing medical complex is also emerging around the hospital. The construction of several free-standing buildings has further added to the area’s growth and development.

This extra construction means jobs during the construction phase and additional jobs once the businesses are up and running.

While the recent rains may have slowed the progress, it’s clear that this area of town is growing and shows us what can happen when people have a vision and the will to see it through.

Not much happens when we dream, but when we commit to making our dreams reality, then we can see the type of growth that is taking place along Highway 80.

Today’s rains are a minor setback to what is becoming a very bright story in Selma.