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“It’s been an uphill battle,” Mr. Nasser conceded at Wednesday’s project kickoff. “These things are never easy, as I’ve learned the hard way.”

It’s also a lesson learned by Saskatoon city council, including Mayor Don Atchison, who called it an emotional day for him after the criticism he has received over the years for the stumbles and delays at Parcel Y.

Certainly, the Nasser family, particularly engineering professor and philanthropist Karim Nasser, who built his real estate fortune in Saskatoon with the Victory Majors firm, deserve kudos for their persistence and patience in sticking with the stalled project they took over from Lake Placid Developments in November 2010.

Although Phase 1 is underway, John Nasser suggests it could be 10 years before the anticipated $300-million project, with two more office towers including a 20-storey structure that could become Saskatchewan’s tallest building, is entirely complete. Given that Saskatoon has waited a decade to see a shovel hit the ground in earnest on Parcel Y, the time frame doesn’t seem out of line, especially in the current slow-growth economic climate.

The one issue that remains troubling is the five-year tax abatement city council felt obliged to extend to the office towers, a move that means it could be 15 years or more before the city begins to recoup the forgone revenue. Meanwhile, Parcel B/B south of the Farmers’ Market and parcel D/E that stretches from the river to 19th Street between Avenue A and the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, whose sale proceeds would cover the city’s landmark River Landing project, remain unsold.

All in all, it’s time for some cautious optimism.