With a symbolic turn of a shovel Tuesday morning, Natchez’s future changed. As the rest of the nation watched and waited for a U.S. Supreme Court decision which will likely decide our next president, officials with the City of Natchez ceremonially broke ground on the city’s new convention center.

And we think the center will prove an invaluable asset in our tourism arsenal once it’s constructed.

The convention center has been one of the most talked about, discussed and debated projects the City of Natchez has undertaken in years.

Naysayers, who lack the vision to see the real value the convention center is expected to bring, are simply selling their hometown short.

Anyone who has driven around town showing a visitor all of the beauty and history Natchez has to offer should certainly be able to see the value the convention center will bring.

People from all over the world fall in love with Natchez. It’s easy to do, Natchez is a great, unique city.

The convention center won’t change that, in fact, it will only serve to help bring in more tourism dollars so that our city and county can continue improving.

A recent report published by the National League of Cities shows that a convention center is the No. 1 tourism facility that can help bring in outside visitors to a city.

And as construction begins in the coming days, we look forward to the next big day in Natchez – the building’s grand opening.