NATCHEZ &045;&045; Mayor Phillip West said this week funding proposals are being fine-tuned to take back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer.

While attending a National League of Cities meeting early last month in Washington, D.C., West visited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s headquarters. There, he presented 10 proposed projects for which the city is seeking funding.

&uot;And because they gave us such a good response&uot; at USDA, West said, city Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar and consultant Andi Quartey are fine-tuning those proposals to take back to USDA for more review later this summer.

Projects for which the city is seeking funding include:

4Establishing a center to help local government agencies, nonprofits and other economic and community development groups in applying for and administering grants.

4With Alcorn, using a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to identify large information technology companies to mentor fledgling rural businesses that will eventually grow and create more jobs in southwest Mississippi.

4Developing an interpretive center at the Forks of the Road, along with Alcorn and possibly the state Department of Archives and History.

4Building a performing arts center with Alcorn.

The city has already bought a site for the complex, which would host arts programs for the community, and Alcorn has committed $3 million to the project.

4Developing a &uot;model&uot; neighborhood on 300 acres of land.

The city will take a neighborhood-based approach to improve the lives of youth and their families, and this neighborhood would serve as a model for those programs.

4Building a luxury full-service retirement and nursing center as close to downtown as possible.

4Developing, in conjunction with private developers, luxury full-service retirement apartments downtown, perhaps in the First Baptist Church building on Main Street.

4Establishing a riverfront walking and biking trail along such streets as Broadway, Roth Hill Road and Learned Mill Road. Senate Appropriations funds and TEA-21 money through the state Department of Transportation could be used, city officials propose.

4Building a family recreation complex.

4Purchasing or repossessing, then restoring, five to 10 abandoned downtown properties to be leased or sold to high-tech or service businesses as office space.