NATCHEZ — World-class performers have graced the Blackburn Theater stage at Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center.

Friday, however, a few stray pigeons were the sole act.

“This building could definitely use some help,” said Mignon Reid, Natchez Ballet Academy owner.

Reid shares the two-story Gothic revival building with several other local organizations.

The Natchez Art Association, Natchez Gymnastics Association and the Natchez Festival of Music all use Margaret Martin at some point throughout the year.

Of those organizations, the Natchez Festival of Music is the only one without a lease from the city.

“We feel like it’s important for our security to have a lease,” Natchez Festival of Music Artistic Director Jay Dean said. “Without a lease, we have no legal right to be there.”

Dean asked the Natchez Board of Aldermen Tuesday to consider leasing portions of Margaret Martin to the Natchez Festival of Music.

Since its debut in 1990, the festival has attracted dozens of musical acts that celebrate music in the Miss-Lou.

“We have worked like crazy to improve the building,” Dean said. “We’re not only good tenants of that building, we’re great stewards of that building because we care about it and we want to improve it.”

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said he had no qualms about leasing portions the building — such as the theater stage — to the Natchez Festival of Music.

The lease, Dean said, would be a revised version of a previous lease the city gave the festival.

“We have been without a lease since 2012,” Dean said. “Without a legal lease, we don’t have any right to be in that building. It puts us in danger of vacating at any point.”

The Natchez Festival of Music wouldn’t pay any money to the city for the lease.

“They would allow us to use the building, and we would take care of it,” he said.

Aldermen didn’t vote during their Tuesday meeting on whether or not to authorize a lease, but instead took Dean’s request under advisement.

“I think there is a way we can make this happen,” Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said.

Brown said several parties have voiced interest in purchasing Margaret Martin in the past, but as of now, no clear future for the 80,000 square-foot building exists, though he added no prospective buyer is looming either.

Dean also requested that the city budget $24,000 a year for improvements at Margaret Martin.

“For a building that size, $24,000 is really just a drop in the bucket,” he said.

Reid seemed to agree Friday, as she sat in the large building with no central air conditioning.

“We provide air conditioning in the (ballet) studio, but the rest of the building has no heating and cooling,” Reid said. “I think that would be an important thing for the city to fund.”

Dean pointed out that the city had made recent updates to the city, such as repairing a leaky roof and painting windows.

However, Dean said the performing arts center still has a long way to go.

“It could be a lot better,” he said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”