Developer could reopen Natchez hotel, scrap apartment plan

NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The tallest building in Natchez could once again become a hotel.

A developer tells the Natchez Board of Aldermen that he may reopen the former Eola Hotel instead of converting it into apartments.

The Natchez Democrat (https://bit.ly/2ptHunV) reports owner Robert Lubin was asked to appear Tuesday by Mayor Darryl Grennell to discuss concerns about the empty building’s condition.

Lubin bought the building in 2014, won approval for apartments last year, but hasn’t started work.

The Virginia lawyer says he had planned to convert the former Markham Hotel in Gulfport into apartments, but is now renovating it into a modern hotel with fewer, larger rooms. He suggests the Eola could find new life by reducing rooms from 125 to 75.

Downtown business owners say the Eola’s closure has harmed tourism.

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Information from: The Natchez Democrat, https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/