NATCHEZ — The Delta Regional Authority will announce Wednesday more than $2.3 million in grant funding to construct a levee at the former Belwood Country Club industrial site, now owned by Adams County.Providing a levee at the site, adjacent to the Natchez-Adams County Port, will enable the county to take advantage of more than 100 acres of industrial development land. Adams County Board of Supervisors President Mike Lazarus said the site floods when the Mississippi River rises.

“That has always been the deal,” Lazarus said. “We get interested people out to look at Belwood and they want it shovel ready, but you can’t do that until the levee is built.

“I got tired of that dance and made up my mind we were going to end that cycle.”

Lazarus said once the levee is built, he will hand the Belwood site over to Chandler Russ of Natchez Inc. as another tool for industrial development.

“We do have at least two clients we have discussed the construction of the levee with,” Russ said. “This announcement will definitely help in those endeavors.

“That piece of property has historically been one of our best pieces of marketable property with its proximity to the river and port.”

This announcement, Lazarus said, is why he has been going to Washington, D.C. — to get the levee up to code and find industry to put on the site.

“I am thrilled this is working out,” Lazarus said. “I want to thank our congressional delegation, everyone in Washington that helped out and the Delta Regional Authority.”

The announcement will come at 3:30 p.m. today at the port, located at 2 River Terminal Road. The event will be next to the transmission tower where River Terminal Road turns into L.E. Barry Road.

Attendees at the announcement will include Delta Regional Authority Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell, Lazarus, Russ, representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Russ said the 100 acres may be used as one big industrial property or perhaps could be split into two, but he said any project would have to meet criteria.

“Because it has such an extreme value and proximity to the river and port, it would be reserved for a large impact project,” Russ said. “It needs to have a decent employment number as well as a significant capital investment number in order to maximize the impact of the property.”

Russ said this would be a two-phase project with another announcement coming. He said the overall project would create a ring-levee around the Belwood property by tying into an existing ring-levee that protects the port.

Lazarus and three other members of the board of supervisors — Calvin Butler, Ricky Gray and Angela Hutchins — attended the National Association of Counties Conference in Washington back in February. During the conference trip, the board lobbied Cochran, Wicker and Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Jackson) for several projects, including the former Belwood Country Club levee.

The delegation mentioned applying for a Delta Regional Authority Grant, and all three said they would endorse the project, Lazarus said.

“It is what we have been waiting on,” Lazarus said. “It is a big day.”