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John Nasser admits he could not even escape questions from his family about the long-delayed mega-project on Parcel Y at River Landing.

Nasser, the president of Saskatoon’s Victory Majors Development Corp., told a crowd gathered for the Parcel Y groundbreaking ceremony that his wife and mother “almost on a daily basis” asked him, “When are you going to start digging?”

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That persistent question was finally answered Wednesday as business people, politicians and journalists gathered to mark the start of the downtown riverbank development.

Nasser told reporters he thinks skepticism about the $300-million-plus project will linger, perhaps even when cranes are visible at the site.

“We’re just starting,” said Nasser, whose company resurrected a previous plan for the plot of land in 2010. “It’s been an uphill battle, I’ll admit that. These things are never easy, as I’ve learned the hard way.”