NATCHEZ &8212; News from the state Legislature has rekindled the dream of a museum and archival storage at the Natchez Institute building.

Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez, said he successfully amended House Bill 1634 Wednesday to add $1 million for the Historic Natchez Foundation, which owns and occupies the historic 1901 school building on South Commerce Street.

&8220;It is the same bill that includes the $15 million for Rentech. I had talked to Sen. Robertson about this for the past couple of years,&8221; Dearing said, referring to Thomas Robertson, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. &8220;I asked him what my chances were of amending the bill to include the million for the Institute, and he did not discourage me.&8221;

The bill has been sent to the House, where it could pass in the full House or be sent to a conference committee, the latter being the more likely path, Dearing said.

The $1 million for the Historic Natchez Foundation will be for repairing and renovating the building and adding fire protection and climate control systems as well as installing archival shelving. The bill calls for construction of handicap accessible restrooms and restoration of the tower that was part of the original building but was removed in the 1940s. Sen. Kelvin Butler, D-Magnolia, co-authored the amendment to the bill. His district includes part of Adams County.

Ron Miller, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, was excited to hear about the amendment. He recounted several recent opportunities the foundation has had to acquire materials but had to explain the lack of appropriate storage. &8220;We really send Natchez things away from Natchez because we do not have the right places to keep them,&8221; Miller said.

The bill, if passed with the amendment, would change that. Also, the foundation could establish a museum of Natchez history. &8220;To have a museum, a big magnet for tourism, will be a boon to our economy,&8221; Miller said.

The deadline to file conference reports is March 25; the deadline to take up conference reports is March 27, Dearing said.