NATCHEZ — A letter of intent the City of Natchez signed with a New Orleans developer to trade renovating the interior of the former train depot on the bluff may be more binding than it initially reads.

New Orleans Hotel Consultant President Warren Reuther recently presented a “non-binding” proposal, which details plans for renovating and leasing the Broadway Street depot, to Natchez Mayor Butch Brown and City Attorney Hyde Carby.

Within that letter is a no-shop provision, which means the city would not solicit any offers from other developers for the renovation of the depot’s interior.

Former city attorney Walter Brown, who is not affiliated with Reuther’s plans to renovate the depot, said by signing off on the letter of intent, the city recognized a commitment to Reuther not to solicit other developers while Reuther reaches out to contractors for the depot’s revitalization.

Both the city and Reuther can cancel the letter of intent at any time though, Walter Brown said.

“Prior to cancelation, it would be binding in the sense that the city can’t seek other proposals while this is still pending,” Walter Brown said of the letter of intent.

Because Reuther is expending time and energy to come up with a plan for the depot’s interior, Walter Brown said he’s not surprised the letter includes a no-shop provision.

“The city couldn’t really encourage a developer if it was shopping all over the place,” Walter Brown said. “(The developer) would lose interest.”

Butch Brown said Reuther is the only developer who has reached out to the city with interest in renovating the downtown depot.

Because of Reuther’s sound history with downtown development in Natchez, Butch Brown said he feels no need to reach out to other potential lessees.

Reuther owns the Natchez Grand Hotel and Monmouth Historic Inn. He also contracts with the city to manage the city’s convention center.

“He is a valuable asset to the community,” Butch Brown said.

Butch Brown said Reuther’s offer — outlined in the letter of intent — is for the depot to house a full-service destination management company named The Mississippi River Visitor Depot.

Because no other potential lessees have contacted the city and he believes Reuther’s plan is a good one, Butch Brown said he thinks the city likely will move forward with Reuther’s proposal

Reuther said he also envisions the depot to house a small gift shop, which would sell food.

Butch Brown said he doesn’t think Reuther’s venture would compete with the Natchez Visitor Center, or give him an unfair advantage with other tourism based businesses in Natchez.

“He has been good for tourism, and brought level of expertise to Natchez,” Butch Brown said of Reuther. “I don’t see this giving him an unfair advantage at all. This would be something completely separate.”

And while nothing has been formally finalized for the depot’s future, Reuther said he has begun the process of reaching out to contractors to renovate the inside of the 2,800 square-foot depot.

Reuther said three local contractors — two from Natchez and one from Vidalia — have walked through the depot within the last week.

“They came and looked at it and said, ‘Yeah, it needs some work,’” he said.

Because the depot has sat idle since 2013 when Old South Trading Post and Cock of the Walk restaurant vacated the space so the city could receive bids for its restoration, Reuther said its interior looks dismal. Shortly after the businesses moved out, city crews began some interior demolition and clean up before leaving the building vacant — and sometimes open to the elements for months.

Community Development Director James Johnston said when the city bid out the project to restore the depot, it hoped to have enough funds to restore both the interior and exterior.

After receiving three rounds of bids, however, Johnston said the city could only afford to renovate the building’s exterior — the first phase of a two-phase project.

The city accepted a $879,000 bid from Brookhaven-based Paul Jackson and Sons for the first phase of the depot’s renovation.

Johnston said bids for the depot’s interior restoration ranged from approximately $325,000 to more than $600,000.

Some of the scope of work included in the interior renovation, Johnston said, was cosmetic work, electrical updates and a new heating and cooling system.

Until he receives offers from local contractors, Reuther said he doesn’t know what the terms of the depot lease would be, or what it would cost to lease the depot.

“We have no idea how much the lease would be,” Reuther said. “I have to get the prices (from the contractors) to see how much it would cost me (to renovate the interior).”

Past plans for the depot’s renovation have included using the space in conjunction with the Natchez Farmers Market — operated by Alcorn State University’s Extension Program — to house an open-air style market that would sell retail goods and also include a demonstration kitchen.

Butch Brown said any plans to use the depot in conjunction with Alcorn are no longer on the table.

“The demonstration kitchen is no longer a part of the plans at the depot, but I am actively pursuing that at another location in town that I cannot disclose at this time,” he said.