NATCHEZ — Following a request from a local fraternity to renovate and lease an old clubhouse at Duncan Park, the Natchez Board of Aldermen has decided to issue a request for proposals for the building.

Natchez Municipal Judge pro tem and Kappa Alpha Psi member Tony Heidelberg appeared before the board last week to follow up on a January request by the local chapter to renovate and lease the building located between the tennis courts and main playground.

Heidelberg has given aldermen a preliminary estimate indicating the renovation would cost approximately $133,000. Among other repairs, Heidelberg has said the building’s roof needs to be replaced.

The fraternity wishes to lease the building for a 50-year term and convert it into a center for community activities. In exchange for the fraternity funding the renovation and continued maintenance of the building, the city would not charge the fraternity rent for the building, Heidelberg has said.

Heidelberg told the aldermen last week that building materials leftover from flood repairs in the Baton Rouge area were being reserved for the fraternity to use for the project.

“We are in danger of losing that, which would cost us money” he said. “We will get it done, but time is of the essence, because we need to get this building up and going in order to implement (plans) for the fall … for the school year, for our tutoring, our computer lab.”

The project’s contractor, Heidelberg said, estimates approximately four months for the project to be completed.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, who is chair of the city’s recreation committee, said she thinks it is best to issue a request for proposals for the building.

“We are trying to be as transparent as we possibly can,” she said.

The board has generally taken the position of issuing RFPs for city buildings that would be used for non-governmental purposes, especially since the city came under fire for leasing the former railroad depot on Broadway Street to a developer without first issuing a RFP. The aldermen later rescinded that deal.

Since then, the aldermen have decided to ultimately issue an RFP for the depot and recently issued an RFP for the former General Hospital building on Oak Street.

A discussion about the future of the former General Hospital during which residents voiced concerns about a proposed senior living facility in building happened shortly before the discussion in the meeting about Kappa Alpha Psi’s plans.

When asked by Arceneaux-Mathis, Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard, chair of public properties, said he agreed the city should issue an RFP for the Duncan Park building.

“We had a very informative hearing this morning (about the former General Hospital), and I think it’s right thing to do with public properties,” Dillard said. “I think Mr. Heidelberg’s proposal would be well received. But sometimes with government, how you get there is important. Some people tend to think the end justifies the means. I tend to think in government that the means are the most important part; we will get to the end.”

Following advisement by City Attorney Bob Latham, the aldermen declared the building surplus and not needed for government purposes and asked Latham to prepare a request for proposals that they would later review.

During the discussion of building, Arceneaux-Mathis acted as mayor pro tem, because Mayor Darryl Grennell stepped out of the meeting to recuse himself from the discussion because he is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.