Because the Natchez Trace will soon be extended into the Liberty Road area, county officials want to construct a new building for agencies being displaced by the federal highway.

Agencies to be displaced are located in two buildings in the 300 block of Liberty Road and include the:

Adams County Road Department

Adams County Sanitation Department

Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Farm Service Agency.

Adams County Supervisors want to locate the new building for these agencies on county property on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive next to Kroger.

They met with employees of the agencies and local architect Johnny Waycaster Monday to discuss preliminary plans. Cost estimates are not yet available for the project.

&uot;I need to get a feel for how big of a building we’re talking about then run some numbers,&uot; Waycaster said.

County officials hope to pay for the new building with money from a Community Development Block Grant that they must apply for by February.

They also hope to finance the building with money they will receive from the acquisition of the two Liberty Road buildings for the project, which is being conducted by the Natchez Trace Parkway and the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Supervisors have yet to hear how much they will receive from the acquisition. &uot;I really thought we would hear on (Nov. 15) and I never heard anything,&uot;&160;said Board President Virginia Salmon. &uot;I look every day.&uot;

Howard B. Herring of Ridge Point Consultants of Meadville said the appraisal for Adams County is complete and it is currently being reviewed by the state.

He said he expects the information to be ready in the next 60 days.

In other business Monday, county officials also looked into the possibility of moving other agencies into the new building, including:

Mississippi Forestry Commission

Alcorn State University and Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension Service

Alcorn State University Center for Rural Life and Economic Development.

Those agencies are currently located in the Natchez Cold Storage building, which is located adjacent to where the Natchez Trace will enter into that section of Natchez.

For this reason, the Natchez Cold Storage Building is also in a bad location, not to mention in need of repair.

&uot;It’s a building that would not be worth bringing up to standard,&uot; said Supervisor Virginia Salmon. &uot;It would not justify the dollars it would cost.

And if all the agencies were located in one building, Adams County could &uot;better serve the public that way.&uot;

The agencies which are being displaced from their current locations have until June to vacate.

Those employees may have to make two moves because the new building will not be ready in time, supervisors said.

Supervisors have not selected a temporary location for these agencies.