By NITA MCCANN

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez has already been partially reimbursed by the state for improvements made to the former Margaret Martin School building, City Clerk Donnie Holloway clarified Monday.

In 2011, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History granted $176,000 to the project.

“We’ve gotten $151,000 so far from the state,” Holloway said. He added that MDAH will not reimburse the city for the full amount until its representatives visit to see firsthand which repairs have been done and which are still needed. No date has been set for that trip.

Since the building has been declared a Mississippi landmark, MDAH has to sign off on any changes to that facility, said Trevor Brown, deputy director of the Historic Natchez Foundation.

The city and the Natchez Festival of Music — the latter of which has been housed in the Martin building since 1999 — each contributed $22,000 in matching funds for the award. Festival supporters and school alumni have also invested many hours on such tasks as repairs and cleaning the facility, according to Mary Lessley, Festival president.

The Historic Natchez Foundation helped apply for the grant, Brown said.

“The fact is, it is still a very viable building,” Brown said. Though some repairs are still needed, Brown said the building is structurally in good condition.

Sen. Kelvin Butler, D-McComb, introduced a bill in this legislative session to authorize $6 million in general obligation bonds to help refurbish the facility. Next, the measure heads to the Senate Public Properties Committee, although it is not yet known when the committee will address the bill.