NATCHEZ &045; Prospects for new riverfront development were at the top of the Board of Aldermen’s agenda Tuesday night.

City officials have tried for more than two years to land a hotel on a city-owned lot across Canal Street from the convention center, something they’ve said could help bring in larger conventions. In Tuesday’s aldermen meeting, City Attorney Walter Brown said there may be significant movement toward a hotel agreement in the next two weeks.

&uot;We’ve presented a proposal to a good prospect, and I hope to bring something definitive back to the board at our (May 10) meeting&uot; in terms of an agreement, Brown said.

Aldermen also authorized Brown to send requests for proposals to parties interested in buying and developing the former Natchez Pecan Factory site. &uot;Hopefully, this will be a catalyst for developing&uot; the riverfront, Brown said.

The city has fielded inquiries from at least 12 parties interested in developing the city-owned site on Broadway Street. At one time, those included a proposal to locate a museum of cotton’s history there.

The board accepted a bid of $91,223 from Jordan, Kaiser and Sessions for engineering services related to an upcoming improvement project on Minor Street. The project includes widening of the street, drainage improvements and retaining walls to keep adjacent yards from eroding. And the board authorized Mayor Phillip West to execute subcontracting agreements for construction of the Wood Avenue fire station.