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tombarnes

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Hi Tom:

My name is Larry Brown (the "Brown" part of Worley Brown, LLC). I stumbled upon this website and thread, and noticed that you have mentioned in a couple of posts that the plans and renderings for our development have not been made public and that you would like to see them.

Well, they have been "made public", and have been approved by the local Preservation Commission - over a year ago. I have a few renderings in PDF that I'd be happy to email if you'd like to take a look (I'll try and post them here if I can figure out how, and if that's even possible).

Best,

Larry Brown

Natchez, MS

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Thank you for sharing this information. The project appears far less intrusive than previous reports had led me to believe. The buildings appear to respect the scale of the existing fabric of downtown Natchez quite well. I might have preferred something more obviously contemporary, but this is not the behemoth that I had been conditioned to expect. it's obvious that your group has gone to considerable trouble to make this project fit in with the location. What is the present timetable?

Also, my comments about the renderings not being available had more to do with the Natchez Democrat not publishing them in their on-line edition. I regret any confusion over my choice of words.

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You would think that the Democrat would have published the renderings, but they only included one very small picture in the print version of the paper. In fact, the Democrat writers who have covered this project have been part of the very small (probably only a dozen or so people..now down to around 6-8) contingency of "naysayers" that have opposed this project from the beginning.

The Democrat has put a negative slant on this development since day one, and has yet to publish anything positive. You get only a small portion of the paper on line. There have been numerous staff editorials..all negative. By reading the Democrat, one would be led to believe that condos on the river will be the lone cause of this City's demise. I really can't believe that the publishers of the paper haven't stepped up and done something to get the word out as to the real positive impact of this project on the economy (all though most people certainly already know). I guess by promoting controversy they can sell more papers, which must be job #1 over there.

As of now, we are awaiting a Mississippi Supreme Court ruling on the appeal of the local courts ruling that the property was sold legally to us. I don't know how much longer this will take, but we're confident that the high court will not overturn Judge Johnson's decision. The suit was filed against the City by 3 of the "naysayers". It's hard to believe that 3 anti-progress radicals can hold up a project of this magnitude (it's BIG for Natchez).

There is ever-increasing interest in the project, and I think we should be clear to proceed within the next 3-6 months.

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I think that building attractive downtown housing units is a major step for Natchez to take in its efforts to grow and prosper. While downtown Natchez is hardly "dead", having more professional people and retirees with money living in downtown Natchez could hardly hurt the city. I'm a bit disappointed in the quality level of the recent hotels proposed or under construction in Natchez. While the Hampton Inn and the Country Inn & Suites may well be decent hotels, they are not exactly 4 or 5 star properties. If only someone would give the Eola the renovation it deserves! Given the recent spate of hotel construction, I'm not sure how many more rooms the market will be able to support, but another downtown hotel could complement your project nicely.

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I think that building attractive downtown housing units is a major step for Natchez to take in its efforts to grow and prosper. While downtown Natchez is hardly "dead", having more professional people and retirees with money living in downtown Natchez could hardly hurt the city. I'm a bit disappointed in the quality level of the recent hotels proposed or under construction in Natchez. While the Hampton Inn and the Country Inn & Suites may well be decent hotels, they are not exactly 4 or 5 star properties. If only someone would give the Eola the renovation it deserves! Given the recent spate of hotel construction, I'm not sure how many more rooms the market will be able to support, but another downtown hotel could complement your project nicely.
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Cato Moves Forward With Emerald Star Project

Site approval has been granted for the project, but not completely. The city council needs to see more of the plans and have a few more questions answered before they grant unconditional approval for the plans. Demolition of the former hotel, however, is proceeding. I have still seen nothing in the way of renderings of the completed project. I hope this will be more than a cheap casino. Natchez deserves more than a low-rolling casino barn on this site.

The Natchez Democrat

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Cato Project May Have Undesirable Backing

A recent article suggests that Charles Cato's casino project in Natchez may have backers who are less than savory. While I have no particular interest in casting aspersions upon anyone, I feel that this is public knowledge, having been published elsewhere. Discussion is welcome.

LDF News

Another article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Still more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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I lived in Natchez in the early 1970s, as well as Woodville. I retain a strong interest in the area, even though I am not originally from Mississippi. Hotels, as you may have guessed, are of great interest to me. I work as a hotel manager in Washington.

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You would think that the Democrat would have published the renderings, but they only included one very small picture in the print version of the paper. In fact, the Democrat writers who have covered this project have been part of the very small (probably only a dozen or so people..now down to around 6-8) contingency of "naysayers" that have opposed this project from the beginning.

The Democrat has put a negative slant on this development since day one, and has yet to publish anything positive. You get only a small portion of the paper on line. There have been numerous staff editorials..all negative. By reading the Democrat, one would be led to believe that condos on the river will be the lone cause of this City's demise. I really can't believe that the publishers of the paper haven't stepped up and done something to get the word out as to the real positive impact of this project on the economy (all though most people certainly already know). I guess by promoting controversy they can sell more papers, which must be job #1 over there.

As of now, we are awaiting a Mississippi Supreme Court ruling on the appeal of the local courts ruling that the property was sold legally to us. I don't know how much longer this will take, but we're confident that the high court will not overturn Judge Johnson's decision. The suit was filed against the City by 3 of the "naysayers". It's hard to believe that 3 anti-progress radicals can hold up a project of this magnitude (it's BIG for Natchez).

There is ever-increasing interest in the project, and I think we should be clear to proceed within the next 3-6 months.

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Cato Project May Have Undesirable Backing

A recent article suggests that Charles Cato's casino project in Natchez may have backers who are less than savory. While I have no particular interest in casting aspersions upon anyone, I feel that this is public knowledge, having been published elsewhere. Discussion is welcome.

LDF News

Another article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Still more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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It is difficult to gain much of an idea of the true nature of the building from the computer generated image shown. If it lacks a restaurant, I might guess that the building will likely not be finished with much care. I'm still puzzled that the developers have chosen Country Inn & Suites as the franchise. An Aloft hotel or even a Hyatt Place would have been far better. Why not a small Westin? Even a garden variety Hilton or Sheraton would have ben preferable. I hope the rumors about the Eola becoming a Holiday Inn aren't true.

I am at a private hotel in Washington managed for the International Monetary Fund.

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Tourists Return as the Pilgrimage Celebrates its 75th Year

The Natchez Pilgrimage celebrates its 75th year as tourists slowly repopulate this charming old river town. I remember donning costumes as a child to "receive" guests at several of the houses. The return of the American Queen and the Delta Queen has helped to boost numbers here. Elderhostel programs are also doing their bit to draw tourists to this area once again. I think Natchez needs to think on a larger scale in order to bring greater numbers of tourists year round- not just in the spring and fall. Perhaps this thinking will come in time. I can understand the reluctance of property owners to open their houses year round. Having your house on tour is more work than meets the eye.

The Natchez Democrat

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Lease With the Lane Company Still Not Signed

The long-term lease with the Lane Company on the property at Roth Hill has yet to be signed. Having seen nothing of their plans, I'm at a loss to say what I think about them. I hope this does not turn into a disaster for Natchez. If done correctly, this could be an asset to the city. If executed poorly, the project will have a lasting negative effect upon this fragile river city. Has anyone seen anything of these plans?

The Natchez Democrat

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Large Tracts of Land at Southern End of City to be Developed

Two local developers have purchased large tracts of land from the estate of the late Grace MacNeil of Elmscourt. While the talk of the developers is encouraging, I think great care needs to be taken to ensure that the southern end of town is redeveloped in accordance with good planning and design principles. It goes without saying that Trace Town shopping center and the sprawl around it need to be vanquished. The loss of woodland is inevitable, but I hope that new development can be accomplished in a way that will improve the city. Removal of certain elements of this sprawl would be a good objective. For the moment, I'll wait to see what these proposals amount to before offering an opinion.

The Natchez Democrat

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  • 2 weeks later...

Emerald Star Project Now Under Construction

Demolition of the former main building of the old Ramada Inn will soon be underway. I have sent an inquiry regarding a rendering of the hotel. The website has nothing at this point. Supposedly, the building will have stuccoed walls and peaked rooflines. I will reserve judgment until I have seen the rendering. This could be decent, or it could be a Bavarian nightmare. I'm hoping for the former.

The Natchez Democrat

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Emerald Star Project Now Under Construction

Demolition of the former main building of the old Ramada Inn will soon be underway. I have sent an inquiry regarding a rendering of the hotel. The website has nothing at this point. Supposedly, the building will have stuccoed walls and peaked rooflines. I will reserve judgment until I have seen the rendering. This could be decent, or it could be a Bavarian nightmare. I'm hoping for the former.

The Natchez Democrat

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  • 4 weeks later...

Construction Proceeds for Two New Hotels

Construction is proceeding rapidly at the sites of two new Natchez hotels. The Country Inn and Suites is being built next to the convention center and will serve as its base hotel. The Hampton Inn is rising quickly nearby. Natchez can use the rooms, though I have reservations about the finished product- especially at the convention site. Building a limited-service property as a base hotel for a convention center strikes me as a strange decision.

The Natchez Democrat

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Tombarnes, I was in Natchez last weekend for the garden tour and saw the hotel across from the convention center that is under construction. It appears that it is being constructed with a huge parking lot out front, which disappointed me somewhat. The architecture still has the potential be ok, still a little to early on in construction for me to judge.

By the way, the next time you visit Natchez, you have to find a way to use your connections to get a tour of the old Prentiss Gentlemen's Club private residence. It is something to behold.

Also, let me add that I expected the antebellum mansion gardens and lawns to be as spectacular as they were, but what surprised me were the smaller, hip, urban gardens we toured downtown. Natchez is a cool little city.

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Hi Spoody,

You are right about Natchez being a cool little city! I haven't actually been there in years, but they are doing a lot of things right. As for the Prentiss Club, I did visit the building a few years ago when it was a restaurant. What a magnificent structure! Your note about the parking lot in front of the convention center hotel does depress me. I might have hoped for underground or hidden parking. I suppose that the economic realities of the situation do not support aesthetics. Too bad for Natchez on this one, but I think that things are looking up for this little river city. The gardens you mention are a good sign indeed.

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