NATCHEZ — After a few months slowdown, discussions about selling a portion of the former International Paper property to build a loop rail track near the Natchez-Adams County Port began again last week.

Infrastructure needs, however, may trump the wish for a quick sale.

The discussions, which began in the fall, are for Adams County to sell some of the vacant industrial property to Natchez Railway, which would develop the area to assist in future growth and increased rail business in the port area.

While the discussions were characterized by Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ as “close” in September, they were apparently inconclusive at that time.

Adams County Board of Supervisors Vice President Mike Lazarus said he attended a meeting Wednesday, however, that may have kicked the discussions back into gear.

“We are back looking at it again,” he said. “It sounds encouraging, and we may get something done.”

But Russ said before any sale on the IP land can be completed, the railroad is going to have to address other infrastructure needs.

“We have got to continue to optimize the rail line, and one of the needs on that line is bringing the bridge weight (capacities) up to 286,000 pounds,” he said. “I believe they are 275,000 right now.”

The bridges on the rail line need to be able to handle the weight capacity of fully-loaded tanker cars by Genesis Energy and Elevance, Russ said.

The solution will likely be a combination of work from the private sector and help from the state without local government input, he said.

“(Natchez Inc.) will be working with both the current ownership of Natchez Railway, the shippers and the state to hopefully help create a plan for bringing those bridges up to full weight,” Russ said.

“We have got to get that line optimized with the bridge structures at a full capacity of 286,000 pounds before an additional expansion can occur on that loop track. We are going to do first things first.”

Adams County purchased the former IP property in August from Rentech with a $9.25 million bond.

Rentech had purchased the land with the intention of building a coal-to-liquid fuel plant there, but eventually abandoned the project as the company restructured its development strategies.

The county purchased the land at the behest of Natchez Inc., which wanted control of the industrial wastewater treatment facility on the property and the ability to better direct the marketing of the land on behalf of the county without the involvement of a third party.

Natchez Inc. is the public-private economic development body for Adams County.