Throughout the process, Griffeth said she has focused on doing anything possible to preserve the building and complete the project in a timely and financially reasonable manner.

“We want to do whatever we can,” she said. “We have a contract that is local who is willing to do whatever they can to preserve whatever historical integrity of the building.”

Selma city councilmember Susan Keith said she feels the local historical society should play more of a role in the project.

“One of the things I have seen consistently repeated is that the historical society needs to be more proactive and cannot come in at the 11th hour when the wrecking ball is about to swing or when the chainsaw is about to buzz,” she said. “Mrs. Griffeth has done her due diligence. We have had to work and go back to get this doable. Water Avenue and the Riverwalk are vital to our tourism.”

The project, Keith said, must keep moving.

“We’ve got to move forward with this,” she said. “If the society can kick in with our community development department to do things, we need to move forward.”

Griffeth said the meeting will look at aesthetics of the building and whether the stage should be put outside the building. However, she said if this is an option it would add another $120,000 in engineering.