NATCHEZ — Two business entities submitted their ideas for remodeling the former train depot at 200 N. Broadway Street into a food, beverage and entertainment venue during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

Community Development Director James Johnston said the two proposals were opened on Nov. 1 — one from Warren Reuther Jr. of New Orleans Hotels and Consultants LLC and the other from Tate Taylor, John Norris, Nick Wallace and Thor Juell of Church Hill Variety LLC.

Reuther, who manages the Natchez Convention Center, said he felt the depot could be used as an extension of downtown conventions and could house a meeting space with 44 tables and chairs board meetings and other events; a small riverfront visitor information center; a special meeting room for riverboat services and supplies and could host barbeques, fish fries, crawfish boils and other forms of entertainment for the people in Natchez.

“We could have all kinds of good things there on the bluff that would help us bring more meetings and conventions to Natchez,” Reuther said. “That’s why we (the Natchez Convention Center) submitted a proposal. … We have so much competition now, like in Flowood, where they’re building a whole new convention center. … That really puts us in the position where we need to do things differently than to just have a meeting space and not take advantage of the view of the Mississippi River where the depot is located.”

In addition to encouraging more people to come to Natchez, Reuther said adding the depot as an extension to the convention center would also create job opportunities

“We would use it for creating jobs, which Natchez desperately needs,” Reuther said. “Our company in Natchez has over 100 employees. That would be its main purpose — to create jobs and generate revenue for the city. We think the depot is an asset that should be managed by the convention center for the people and help us to compete in that industry. … Natchez is a beautiful city … and the hospitality industry is the low-hanging fruit in our community and we need to take it to another level.”

Thor Juell, spokesman for Church Hill Variety LLC who submitted the second proposal, said the depot could be utilized to promote the Natchez brand with the help of a famous Jackson chef and Mississippi native, Nick Wallace.

Juell represents Taylor and Norris, who are the director and producers of such films as “The Help,” “Get on Up” and “Ma” that have been filmed in Natchez and are working to build a Natchez film studio called Crooked Letter Picture Company.

“If we’re able to successfully build a world class restaurant place to sip a cocktail and look at the Mississippi River, it will ultimately serve as a branding opportunity that would help everyone, including (Crooked Letter Picture Company), reach our goals,” Juell said. “… We have a lot of plans. We want to build a movie studio, bring a creative economy here and build a restaurant group with Nick Wallace.”

Juell said the Wallace and Taylor partnership plan to open a restaurant chain called Church Hill Variety that presents farm-to-table dining at its finest with ingredients produces on a farm near Taylor’s home in Church Hill.

Juell said the depot’s location on the bluff is the perfect venue for a full-fledged Mississippi River city dining experience created by native Mississippians.

“We want this to be so incredible that it creates a gravitational pull — that people from New Orleans and Memphis and Jackson have to come and experience it. … The depot is capable of that because it has all of the pieces to do that. It just needs to be put together. … The depot becomes this incredible experience built by two native Mississippians that is fed from a farm less than 20 miles away up the Natchez Trace. You can’t make that stuff up and it’s what that spot deserves.”

The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to take both proposals under advisement.

The City of Natchez plans to lease the depot for approximately $36,000 per year. Additionally, the renters may receive credit for any capital improvements made to the facility to be applied to the rent which caps at $300,000 in total.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said the proposals have been taken to an evaluation committee composed of three aldermen, local business owners and community members for a fair selection process that would end Dec. 15.

This has been a long time coming — to get to this day and receive these proposals,” Grennell said. “Both of these individuals who have responded are assets to this city. That is why it’s going to be a difficult process for the evaluation committee in terms of accepting one of these proposals. We want to ensure that no favoritism is shown.”

In other matters during Tuesday’s meeting of the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen, the board:

• Heard an introduction of four new police officers from Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong: Stanley Starks, Glenn Chiovaro, Dale Caldwell and Nicholas Ergermeier. Armstrong said Starks is certified as a K9 officer and would be assigned to one of two K9s that the department plans to purchase with donated funds.
• Unanimously approved the installation of a new railroad warning sign at the Duncan Park railroad crossing at the expense of Natchez Railway. Johnston said the city would be responsible for upkeep and maintenance on the sign once it’s installed.
• Unanimously approved a settlement with Entergy for overcharge from deactivated light poles in which Entergy would reimburse the city $214,488.
• Unanimously approved the use of money received from Entergy to purchase new Motorola radios for the Natchez Fire Department for $119,397.
• Unanimously agreed to offer an employee benefits package proposed by Ross & Yerger Insurance Inc., which would provide tax savings to the city and city employees in exchange for their participation in health and wellness education activities each month at no cost.