NATCHEZ – More than $885,000 worth of amenities were cut out of the Natchez Convention Center project to bring it down to its current cost, according to figures from Tourism Director Walter Tipton.

The facility will cost $10,777,686 to build and furnish, according to the latest city figures. That includes such expenses as architect and construction management fees and land acquisition.

Construction &uot;has been carefully monitored from inception to insure that we have a facility that is unique and functional for attracting conventions to Natchez,&uot; Tipton said. &uot;(But) changes in design were proposed to reduce costs of construction.&uot;

Major cost-cutting measures include:

4Replacing an escalator with a staircase and elevators – saving about $200,000.

4Reducing square footage from 58,447 to 56,202 square feet – saving about $193,070.

4Changing from stucco to Dryvit exteriors – saving about $112,722.

4Replacing a covered car drop-off point with a canopy – saving about $100,000.

4Planting boxwoods instead of constructing brick screen walls at the facility’s loading dock – saving about $86,000.

4Deleting computer-based heating and air conditioning, instead monitoring each room with an individual control unit – saving about $75,000.

4Reducing the size of the truck dock on the Wall Street side of the facility – saving about $40,000.

4Eliminating 5,016 square feet of pavement at the community plaza – saving about $22,707.

4Reducing the thickness of the concrete floor from nine inches to six inches – saving about $17,371.

4Eliminating sensor-operated toilets – saving about $16,500.

4Deleting brick paversat at the facility’s entrance – saving about $15,000.

4Eliminating a canopy at the facility’s back door – saving about $7,000.