MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach’s mayor appears to be distancing himself from a controversial redevelopment plan.

Mayor John Rhodes helped announce in January that the city would build a new library and children’s museum in the downtown Superblock.  During a public press conference held in the center of the Superblock, Mayor Rhodes shared drawings and announced the city would buy property to make the plans work.

Myrtle Beach City Council voted to allow the use of eminent domain for people who didn’t want to sell.

The plan led to protests from community members and business owners hoping to protect their land and businesses. More recently, the idea of the new library and children’s museum, particularly how it will be paid for, has become an election issue.

Some mayoral candidates say the city shouldn’t force people out of their properties and they criticized how much the city paid for individual buildings.

As recently as August, the project appeared to be moving forward with Myrtle Beach City Manager John Pedersen saying leaders hoped to begin demolition in the beginning of 2018.

However, in a Facebook Live interview with The Sun News on Wednesday, Mayor Rhodes appeared to be questioning the once certain library and children’s museum, saying, “Right now, we really don’t know. It’s just been an option put out there for a library and a children’s museum.”

During his announcement in January, the mayor had a different take on the downtown project.

“Where we’re standing is going to be the next site of the new Chapin Memorial Library and the new South Carolina Children’s Museum,” the mayor promised.

A city press release from January also said the library and children’s museum “will be built.”

In April, Pedersen said there’s never been any discussion of any other project.

“I’ve seen other people express opinions that we’re trying to do something else, but it’s not. You know, I don’t know anything more to say than that. There’s never been any other discussion of any other project there. This is no bait and switch sort of a project or any of that. The ultimate goal is to build a library facing Nance Plaza, and a children’s museum facing 9th Avenue,” Pedersen said.

The mayor said in his Facebook Live event Wednesday that the city is open to public-private partnerships in the downtown development project.