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National Park Service may take control of Natchez visitor center
Published Friday, July 11, 2008
NATCHEZ — Though it’s in its very preliminary stages, an idea is formulating to transfer ownership of the Natchez Visitor Reception Center from the city to the National Park Service.
Talks began when an assessment team came and looked at the visitors center.
It’s been open for 10 years and it’s natural to reassess the building and see what can be done in the future or what needs to be done, Superintendent of the Natchez National Historical Park Kathleen Jenkins said.
“They looked at the main building, the parking lot area, the landscape, the fountain, the historic colonnade out front,” Jenkins said.
After looking at those things, the team projected maintenance costs out to the year 2040 “so we would have a reality check,” Jenkins said.
Director of Tourism Connie Taunton said to the board of aldermen Tuesday that those kinds of costs would be a hardship to the city.
“With (the park service’s) budget, they’d be able to make the necessary changes and improvements to the visitors center,” she said.
Jenkins said these considerations are all in the best interest of the building.
“That kind of kick started everything because nobody wants a sub par building,” she said.
Taunton said the park service’s help would be providential for the center.
“The assistance that we would get from the park service would be a benefit to Natchez,” she said.
It also comes at a good time for the park service, which is looking to increase its presence in the visitors center.
“What we seen in the last few years is the completion of the Natchez Trace Parkway into Natchez, we’ve been designing new exhibits to go in this building to give more visibility to the National Park Service,” she said.
She said not only is the visitors center is not just a welcome center for the City of Natchez but also for the park service.
Jenkins and Taunton only recently presented this to the board of aldermen, asking the city for the donation of the building.
“The city has a lot of decisions to make,” Jenkins said.
Both Jenkins and Taunton said they thought the board responded well to the idea.
There are many steps to go through before this could take effect.
Jenkins said it would have to be approved through the park service’s office in Washington, D.C., and that could prove to be a roadblock.
Jenkins said right now its merely a discussion to see if the National Park Service and the city might want to do attempt the transfer.
If it were to occur, Jenkins said the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau could still operate from the building.
“The CVB could maintain offices here,” she said. “There’s nothing saying we can’t lease space to other agencies.”
Comments
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 1:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“What we seen in the last few years is the completion of the Natchez Trace Parkway into Natchez, we’ve been designing new exhibits to go in this building to give more visibility to the National Park Service,” she said. NO NO NO,
What we have seen is a money looser and they are wanting to bail! We gave away the convention center now this place. I would have much rather them say " we are sorry Natchez for you paying for a white elephant"," but we have learned you cant get blood from a turnip or keep beating a dead horse". The two very things ( Natchez visitors center and convention center) that were proof of a BOOMING tourist industry have been shed because they can't pay for themselves. Let this be a lesson and example of the status of our "TOURIST INDUSTRY" and to think of the millions and millions it has cost. This makes me sick! A good case of "I told you so". But we all know who made money off of this beached whale.
Posted by wonderingirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 1:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
First the city owned pecan factory is sold for $200,000.below price to politically connected people. Then it is proposed that city owned land be given to the Forks of The Road Project or the parks service for use for this project. Now we are considering giving the Natchez Reception Center to the Park Service and paying to lease space in our formerly taxpayer owned building. This is just 3 deals that involve citizen owned property. No wonder there's no money for things like recreation projects. Ten years ago when city money was used to purchase a deep kudzu encrusted ravine owned by the then Mayor Butch Brown were there not any plans as to maintaining this site?
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 2:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wonder what the petticoat mafia will have to say about the great "Tourism" now?
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 5:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jenkins said these considerations are all in the best interest of the building.
What about the best interest of the taxpaying public that owns the building?
Director of Tourism Connie Taunton said to the board of aldermen Tuesday that those kinds of costs would be a hardship to the city.
Kinda like spending all that taxpayer money to build it? Now, you want to just give it away? You government officials keep forgetting that it was the public that paid for this. Not the city. The money in the city coffers is not yours. It is ours.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 5:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Right here is why the south lost that war against the northern aggressors. Too many cities and towns with unelected carpetbaggers and scalawags running things.
Reconstruction is not over, the federalization of Natchez continues.
Posted by ThomasR09 (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 6:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Before you criticize the park service or Mrs. Jenkins you need to look at what influence they have had on this community. Mrs. Jenkins and her staff at the park service have accomplished great things in recent years. The William Johnson House was opened for tours in 2005, the annual junior ranger camp program has been very successful as well. If you look into the ND archives you can read more about what they have done in the article where the entire staff was awarded the citizen of the year award in 2005. They are trying to improve the city that most of you either live in of care about.
Posted by watcher (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you decide to have dinner with a tiger the most optimistic outcome will be that you get nothing to eat
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a good idea to me
The Park Service will give adequate training to the personnel and keep the facility up, I would hope.
That will take the expense off the city.
No more insider hiring of anybody's local buddies.
But of course we want locals to have first shot at the jobs, and that it won't hurt the employees that are there now. They'll probably get paid better by the Park Service.
Tourism helps a lot of us in town, not only the antebellum owners (granted they receive the greatest benefit by direct touring fees of their homes as should be the case) but restaurants and merchants benefit also. So let's keep it going. Natchez needs more gardens and flowering plants. Wouldn't it be nice if we had big gardens that had a really significant and beautiful variety of horticultural attractions.
Posted by John (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you have been in or around that visitors center, you know it needs LOTS of work. The city doesn't have it.
And besides, don't any of you ever frothing naysayers ever have anything positive to say about anything? Sounds more like a personality trait than reality!!
Posted by Kaintuck (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The National Park Service owning the Natchez Visitor Reception Center could be a good thing, especially now that tourists are shelling-out $4 a gallon to drive to Natchez. (Be thankful for the bus tours!) If gas prices continue to rise as expected, Natchez could experience a precipitous decline in tourism. Florida tourism is already feeling the effects of what $4 a gallon gas can do, and many businesses there, unlike Natchez, are close to an Interstate. Natchez is a wonderful tourist destination, but the costs associated with maintaining the Visitor Reception Center might better be appreciated under Federal largess.
Posted by sayitlouder (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
the building should not have ever been built. the contractor is now in prison for kickbacks on public buildings. the building is falling down and the great butch needed it to be built so all tourists would come here and leave on tourism buses. another bad investment. remember the tax that tour buses was to pay to support the building? What happened to that tax?
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Butch and the tax left town. He is now on to bigger and better destruction, like destroying Port Gibson. Well why not, he is Butch, he can do anything.
Posted by wonderingirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Park Service does do a very good job with the projects that they are involved in. It's just disheartening to remember 10 years ago when this site was proposed to everyone it was owned by Mayor Butch Brown. He said the law prevented him from selling his personal property to the city as a conflict of interest. He was asked to donate the site to the city. He wanted to be paid for the property. The citizens have invested in this drainage hole with a high dollar building that has mold problems and is falling apart. Now the citizens are being asked to donate the property and then pay to lease space. Couldn't we at least ask that we be given space in consideration of the "gift" of this property?
Posted by omg (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The buildings are built now. Why do you sit and bit@H about things that have been done. Butch Brown is not longer EVEN here. Focus on what good can come out of these buildings, not the negative. You people kill me.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just like Butch and his kind kinda killed us here in Natchez? I doubt the building that is going down now would have even been built where it is and cost sooo much money had butch not pushed and pushed and got his way. omg what a shame for us to have to just give away.
Posted by omg (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its not like the building is going anywhere. Do you know anything about tourism? It will still serve its same purpose and more. How could it hurt us?
Posted by DIXIEGAL21 (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My husband and I visited the Natchez Visitors Center once. There was a charge to see the promotional movie about Natchez, so we skipped it. What a farce! Never asked to pay in any other state we have visited. Also, not an employee to be found there to ask about local interests, restaurants, etc....a literal ghost town. Most welcome centers offer soft drinks and coffee to visitors...not there. Nothing but bare cold walls and numerous brochure counters. I am sure the Park Service would do a much better job. Might be best to get rid of the current staff and let the Park Service start anew. Just my thoughts of course!
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So, let's see, the city, the state and local business will all rent from the NPS? NVCVB - MS Welcome Center and NPT....yep, that rent money should help.....
Posted by firered (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dixiegal21, I worked at the Visitors Center a few years ago. They do offer soft drinks and coffee. Its back there by that movie that you skipped. It is a very good and very informative movie by the way. Did you stop in the area in the back where they have the Native American mural that is in motion and the little steamboat area? There is commentary that plays repeatedly all day that is free to listen to. It has some very good stories to listen to as you browse around. I'm sorry you had a bad visit. I can't believe that you had trouble finding someone who worked there to talk to you. There normally is a park ranger, someone from Pilgrimage Tours, someone from the state, as well as a city employee up front. They even schedule their breaks around each other so that someone is up there at all times. (at least that's how it was when I was there. I haven't been back since I left there.) Again I'm sorry your visit wasn't a very good one. I hope you call the Park Service or the city and voice a complaint so that they will work to make sure this never happens again.
Posted by mskitty (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hopefully if this happens Connie and Sally won't be able to run the show.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DIXIEGAL21 your thoughts are a joke! Not to mention an out and out lie!
I have been in there numerous times and there are people galore to help with whatever you need!
Have you ever thought maybe it is that nasty attitude of yours?
Byt the way, that movie is an added bonus for visitors and they love it!
So maybe next time instead of walking in a place such as our beautiful visitors center with your head held down and only looking for an inside potty you will actually SPEAK to someone....makes a big dif.
Posted by RobinBrownHayes (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 7:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SayitLoud-I don't see that anyone's thoughts are a joke. Even yours. I don't necessarily agree with you but you obviously feel VERY strongly about your thoughts. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you didn't go to the "commodal" (name given to project when it was first started) on the same day as dixiegal21. Because it just so happens the one time I went to the place I had the same experience. I actually called and told some people about it. Maybe when you went it was after that. And as far as the so-called movie goes-I'm sure it might be interesting to someone that doesn't know the WHOLE truth about some of the things in it. I on the other hand do know the truths that were stretched for the sake of sensationalism. And it is a little pricey for what you get. And in my opinion, you might need to take a chill pill because I didn't see anything nasty in dixiegal21's post. Yours was the only one really over the top.
And omg----Your user name fits you. (Completely stressed out would be my guess.) I realize that some people believe that good ole butch is no longer in Natchez but how wrong you are. The ghost of all the things done wrong and underhanded are still being paid for by the citizens of Natchez and Adams County. This just being one of many. My family was personally affected by one of his bull in the china shop actions.
And the one way that I can see that this would hurt would be what wonderingirl said in an earlier post about why would we want to give it away for free when it already belongs to us and then pay the people we gave it to for the privilege of setting up shop in an office. Sounds like an oxy-moron to me.
Posted by wonderingirl (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe it would be a good idea to let the Park Service take over before more taxpayer money is flushed down the "commodal".
Posted by peachpit (anonymous) on July 11, 2008 at 11:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember when "Pully Bone" ran for mayor he called it a "3 million dollar bathroom." WOW! LOL!
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Best thing for Natchez. Get it out of these people's hands and into hands that know what they're doing and how to do it. Go Park Service.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And by the way, Ole butchie boy is still very much alive and kicking in Natchez. Have you forgotten the new intersection that is planned for the Trace City Mall area? That's another of his wild-haired schemes, that might prove to be a misadventure before it's over with. For years Natchez will be plagued with his 'misadventures'.
Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I did find DIXIEGAL21's comment a lttle off beat but it is her personal opinion. Very few of us agree with one another & I don't agree with her but that's her opinion. Now what I found funny was bringing back the memory of "Pully Bone" running for mayor. I'm sure at what he calls "his business meetings" he pretends to be something that he's not but I've personally known him since the early 60's & I know what he is like & will always be like. Now that to me is what's funny. I always said he was like wolf dressed in sheep skin.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HA! Yeah overthehill60 I also remember that mayor race and it was hilarious! Also Robert, Freak From Hell, Costa was another joke running that year!
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, giving it to the park service would take the maintenance load off the local taxpayer, but not if we have to pay to rent space in a building that we already own. As Wonderingirl said, how about we donate the building on the condition that we get free rent on just a few of the office spaces in return for the donation?
The main point is that the local taxpayers should never have footed the bill for a rest area. The federal and state government should have built it. It was shoddily built by some good ole boys, and now at 10 years old, it is already a maintenance headache for the town. I hope the built the new convention center with better oversight and standards, or in a few years, we will be trying to donate it too.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How about just giving the whole city to the National Park Service, then we don't have to worry about anything, the mayor and aldermen don't have to do anything, and we can all pay for it with our taxes.
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 11:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that is the idea they want us to think we came up with.
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 12:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i so agree with dixiegal's comment. i too visited the center. it and it's staff indicated NO SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY at all. there was no one to greet you when walking in. the building seem too big for what little it had in it. i had to wander around to find my way. when i would see staff, they seemed to be in their own world. the center felt very UNWELCOMING, UNIFORMATIVE AND COLD(not meaning temperature).
so, i feel strongly the center/natchez certainly would benefit by letting the park service take place. anything would be an improvement!
there's this group of natchezians that have a COMPLACENT mind set. those brains need to be zapped and THINK OUTSDIE OF THE 'NATCHEZ-SMALL TOWN' BOX!!!
Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pully Bone wouldn't know southern hospitality if it slapped him in his face. HE'S A SLLY JOKE, always has be and always will be!
Posted by firered (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The city and the park service could just trade offices. The park service offices are in the upstairs part of the Visitors Center.
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