NATCHEZ &045; A bill now before a state House committee would authorize $10 million in bonds to redevelop downtown Natchez.

Under House Bill 1691, as it’s now worded, the bonds could be issued for any redevelopment purpose in downtown Natchez. But Mayor Phillip West’s intent in asking for the bill was to use the funds for grants downtown property owners could use to help restore their buildings’ facades.

That’s according to the Historic Natchez Foundation’s Mimi Miller. Miller said West asked her late last year to compile a book of historic photographs and drawings of downtown buildings as a reference to be used when making such grants.

The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee Friday. The deadline for House floor action on revenue bills is Wednesday, although such bills can be reconsidered Thursday.

What’s the importance of restoring facades? &uot;It’s an economic development issue,&uot; said Miller, the foundation’s director of education and preservation. In the vast majority of cases, she said, &uot;a restored building does not want for a tenant.&uot;

Stephanie Hutchins, chair of a citizen committee working with city officials on beautification, was thrilled to hear of the bill Monday. Hutchins said faSade upkeep is as much of a beautification issue as litter, dilapidated houses and the like.

&uot;That (faSade appearance) is the first thing you see Š and the first thing tourists see when they come downtown, but it takes money to keep (facades) at their optimum appearance,&uot; Hutchins said. &uot;It’s important, especially on our main downtown strips.&uot;

For now, those working most closely with the bill are keeping any information close to the vest. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. David Green, mentioned it only in passing at Monday’s Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast.

For his part, state Rep. Robert Johnson III only said during the breakfast that &uot;we’re working on it.&uot; West would not comment, saying he would have more to say about the money’s specific uses after meeting with area legislators in the next few days.

For one thing, whether Gov. Haley Barbour would sign off on a bond bill remains to be seen, as state Sen. Bob Dearing said Monday when referring to another $1 million bond bill to establish a museum of Natchez history.

&uot;I don’t know if any bond bills (will be signed into law) this year,&uot; Dearing said at the legislative breakfast, &uot;especially since bond bills (were passed) in the special session.&uot;

The bill would create a &uot;City of Natchez Downtown Redevelopment and Improvement Fund&uot; with the State Treasury, with funds to be disbursed by the state Department of Finance and Administration to the city.

Miller said she doesn’t know what the bill’s future might be. But she does believe that, if the bill passes, the faSade grant program it would fund would be more successful that past programs done by local organizations.

The Historic Natchez Foundation has had a difficult time in recent months finding downtown property owners to take advantage of its faSade grant program.

That’s because property owners can only get $2,000 at the most through that program &045; not enough to encourage recipients to even put up a match for the grant, Miller said.

That program, whose money can be used to rehab second-story windows, has only had two takers so far, although a few more have expressed interest more recently.

Miller said she hasn’t discussed with West whether the proposed faSade grant program would require a 50/50 match or how much the maximum grant might be. But she did give an example of what might make it worth a property owner’s while.

&uot;Say you have a 50/50 matching grant on a $100,000 faSade renovation,&uot; said Miller, who is still working on compiling the book of faSade photos and drawings.

&uot;Then you can get a federal tax credit of 20 percent &045; $20,000, in this case. You’d basically be getting $100,000 worth of renovations for just $30,000. That’ll make people go to the bank for a loan.&uot;

The bill would also include $350,000 to fund a Camp Van Dorn Museum in Centreville.