During a 1 1/2-hour meeting Wednesday, the three nonprofit agencies and transportation museum considering locating in the Levee Street Depot made little progress in getting the city administration to sign on to a plan developed by former Mayor Laurence Leyens.

In attendance

Attending Wednesday’s meeting were:

City officials:

• Mayor Paul Winfield

• North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield

• South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman

• City Attorney Lee Davis Thames

• Landscaping Department Director Jeff Richardson

• Buildings and Inspections Director Victor Gray-Lewis

• Chief of Staff Kenya Burks

Vicksburg Main Street Program:

• Director Kim Hopkins

• Board Chairman Harry Sharp

Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce:

• Director Christi Kilroy

• Board President Charlie McKinnie

• Treasurer Buddy Dees

• Board member Skipper Guizerix

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Board Chairman David Maggio

• Administrative Assistant Debra Ellis

Vicksburg Transportation Museum:

• Executive Director Lamar Roberts

Representatives from the Vicksburg Main Street Program, the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce all said they’re on board with the deal to occupy office space on the floor above a proposed transportation museum in the century-old, city-owned building at City Front.

“Hopefully the thing that comes out of this is you understand that all three of the entities are all for this,” David Maggio, VCVB board chairman told city officials. “We like the idea of saving the building and getting everything in one place — not just for us, but for that whole section of downtown.”

But Mayor Paul Winfield and North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield repeatedly emphasized the city may not be in a financial position to support the move. South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman did not make many comments throughout the meeting, but said before the meeting he was on board if the details could be worked out among the three non-profits.

“We’re in a situation right now where we’re trying not to raise folks’ taxes just to make sure we can cover our operations,” said Winfield. “I’m not saying this project is dead in the water … but we’re in a mess right now.”

Although Winfield cast his objections in financial terms, it’s not clear that a merger would cost city taxpayers a dime.

There are several factors, primarily the acceptance of a $1.65 million grant awarded to the transportation museum in March 2007 by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Architect Johnny Waycaster was hired June 30 to design renovations for the museum and office spaces for the three nonprofits, and the renderings must be completed and approved by Sept. 30 in order for the city to accept the grant.

The grant requires a $412,350 local match, which under Leyens’ plan was to be raised via a $150,000 contribution from each the VCVB and Chamber, as well as in-kind matches through the purchase of the Chamber’s building on Mission 66. The grant can only be used to renovate the museum, so there would be an undetermined cost associated with renovating the office spaces.

Leyens had proposed the city’s emergency management department could move into the Chamber building, but Winfield said he’s not on board with that idea as the entire department has just one employee, director Anna Booth.

“I believe that we need to be working more with Warren County to try to share some resources and reduce costs so we don’t have to raise people’s taxes,” he said. “There’s really no way we can go out there and put a (emergency management) facility together… the money is just not there.” 

According to the agreement, each nonprofit and the transportation museum would enter a 20-year lease with the city and pay approximately $500 a month for rent and utilities. The city would continue to own the building and be responsible for maintaining the building and grounds.

“This project as far as I’m concerned would be good for the community … but how is the city going to hold up their end of the bargain?” asked Mayfield. “We’re going through the budget every day and it’s not there.”

Harry Sharp, Main Street board chairman, said the opportunity to get all three nonprofits in one downtown location as well as the transportation museum will likely not come along again.

“You’re asking if we can afford to do this. I’m asking, can we afford not to do this?,” said Sharp. “After many, many years of trying to do this, this is the first time it’s ever made as much sense and the first time all these groups have agreed to it. We will never have an opportunity like this again.”

Main Street is a trade association promoting downtown with funds from extra property taxes levied in a city-set district and city allocations. The VCVB is a city-county tourism development agency funded by a special 1 percent tax applied to restaurants, bar and room rentals. The Chamber of Commerce is an independent business support and development group, funded by memberships and significant city and county allocations.

The VCVB and Main Street have been looking for a permanent home since a 2006 collapse of a downtown building near their shared home forced them to take up temporary residences elsewhere. The VCVB has been operating its executive offices from a manufactured home adjacent to its visitors center at 3300 Clay Street, while the Main Street offices are located in the City Hall Annex. The Chamber, on the other hand, has 70 years remaining on its lease.

“The Chamber does not need this — the Chamber is in a comfortable position where it is — the Chamber wants this, and I think that says a lot,” said treasurer Buddy Dees.

Dees said he sees the depot project as an investment by the city similar to the Vicksburg Convention Center.

“I just feel like it’s worth (the cost to the city),” he said. “And the city would have three acres and a building to use out (on Mission 66) in virtue of the swap with the Chamber. Maybe you don’t know exactly what you’re going to use it for now, but you’ve got that three acres and that building.”

Lamar Roberts, who spearheaded the transportation museum and also owns and operates the Vicksburg Battlefield Museum, again emphasized the transportation museum would draw an estimated 50,000 people annually.

“I think it’s going to create a lot of traffic for the city and a lot of revenue. There’s going to be a transportation museum, and I hope it’s here in Vicksburg,” said Roberts, who noted the 1,500 books, model trains and other exhibits already donated to the museum will have to be given to another project if the Vicksburg museum is not established.

The city has been working on its budget for the next fiscal year — which begins Oct. 1 — for the past three weeks, and is due to present it at a 7 p.m. hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Winfield said the board is working to whittle down expenditures in the roughly $30 million budget, which are currently at $4.5 million over expected revenues. All department heads have already been asked to cut their proposed budgets by 7 to 10 percent, and additional cuts will likely be necessary before the final budget is approved.

All those attending Wednesday agreed another meeting will be needed for discussion but no date was set.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com