NATCHEZ — In an effort to get the former Brumfield School on St. Catherine Street fully renovated, the city is assisting the group that owns the building with writing and submitting grant proposals for the vacant school’s restoration.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown and Community Development Director James Johnston recently attended the annual Affordable Housing Conference and Reception in Jackson where they discussed capturing grants for low-income housing in Natchez.

The city sold Brumfield to Natchez-based New Hope Missionary Baptist Church: The Vision Center’s low-income housing program — led by New Hope Bishop Stanley Searcy — for approximately $120,000 in February 2013.

Since the group purchased the building, with the intention to convert it into low-income housing, Searcy said the group has applied for grants through the Mississippi Home Corporation for the building’s restoration.

No grants have been awarded yet, Searcy said.

“They’re still waiting on funding,” Searcy said of Mississippi Home Corporation.

Searcy said the complete restoration of the building would cost approximately $2.5 million.

Because the Brumfield School sits prominently near downtown and could provide housing, Brown said the city is interested in seeing the building restored.

Brown said the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas — which the city has previously used for Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) grants — might have grants available for Brumfield.

“We are trying to assist (Searcy) in his effort with the Federal Home Loan Bank board to get the credits he needs to move forward in the coming year,” Brown said. “Thus far, we have not participated in their grant applications.”

Brown said New Hope would still be in charge of writing and submitting any grant proposals. The city would simply provide assistance.

While in Jackson, Brown said he and Johnston met with representatives from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas to discuss grant proposal deadlines.

“If we can assist in any way to help that project move along, that’s what we want to do,” Brown said.

Searcy said any and all help with restoring Brumfield would be appreciated.

“If the city has anything to throw at us, that would be great,” he said.

Searcy said his goal is for the school to boast 29 apartments with two to three rooms each.

Brumfield was built in 1925 and was converted into housing using the city’s Large Unused Municipal Property program in the 1990’s.

The building has been vacant since 2011.