NATCHEZ &045; The Natchez Board of Aldermen have entered an exclusive agreement with Great River Development Co. of Marietta, Ga., to negotiate an option for a convention center hotel.

The letter of intent, drafted Friday by city attorney Walter Brown, gives Great River 60 days to negotiate with the city.

&uot;The board was very impressed and unanimously agreed to this exclusive negotiating arrangement based upon the presentations you made for the convention center hotel and your interest in the surrounding areas of the hotel,&uot; Brown wrote.

Brown said Great River Development is working with the Hilton chain.

Natchez built the $10 million convention center in 2002 but has been looking for a developer for the hotel site across the street.

Tourism officials have said a hotel adjacent to the convention center would help attract more events to the facility.

Earlier this year, city tourism director Walter Tipton said 12 groups, including the Mississippi Association of Supervisors and the Mississippi Tourism Association, have said they’ll seriously consider Natchez as a convention location &045; but only if the city has a new convention center hotel to ensure they would have enough rooms.

Aldermen are hoping that a convention center hotel would be part of greater development along the bluff.

On Friday, city officials signed an option agreement with Worley Brown LLC, giving Worley Brown exclusive rights to work on developing the Pecan Factory site for $50,000. If Worley Brown exercises the option, it would pay an additional $450,000 to buy the property and develop 75 luxury condos on the site.

&uot;We think this is the spark that is going to lead us to better days,&uot; Mayor Phillip West said of the condo project.

&uot;This is a great day for Natchez,&uot; Worley Brown partner Ed Worley said. &uot;It’ll be an even greater day when we get the building completed.&uot;