NATCHEZ &8212; Progress means tearing down to build up again, and the first step took place Monday.

Two brick buildings on Canal and Main streets were torn down to make way for a coming hotel across from the convention center.

The buildings were both built in the 1950s, Natchez Historic Foundation Director Mimi Miller said.

The building on Main Street was a doctor&8217;s office at first, and Noble-Hicks Insurance occupied the building for years afterward. The Hicks formed partnerships with others and stayed in the building until the city bought the property in 1998, Donald Hicks said.

The building at 106 Canal St. housed the National Life and Accident Insurance Company for decades and served as a souvenir shop for a short time, Miller said.

The old brick buildings lay in piles of rubble Monday night, but the space they leave will soon house visitors.

Developer Tom Bauer said Monday he expected to close the deal in November and hoped to start construction on the 119-room hotel before the end of the year.

The hotel will be a complement to the convention center, Tourism Director Walter Tipton said.

&8220;Lots of meeting planners now look for accommodations adjacent to the meeting space,&8221; Tipton said.

Close proximity to downtown venues will also be a big plus, he said.

The removal of the buildings, one step toward the hotel, was &8220;good news,&8221; Mayor Phillip West said.

&8220;It&8217;s something we&8217;ve been working on for a long time,&8221; he said. &8220;We should have this particular project completed hopefully by the end of next year.&8221;

The county and city recently approved bonds to help finance the hotel.

Bauer agreed to buy the property in July for $524,333. The total cost of the project was estimated at the time to cost more than $10 million.