The Trustmark bank building, a downtown Vicksburg landmark for 100 years, has been sold, bank officials announced this morning.

“The deal was closed yesterday — money has passed hands and the title has passed hands,” said Jerry Hall, president of the bank’s Vicksburg-area market. “We’re real interested to see how it turns out.”

Trustmark, based in Jackson, will maintain its local headquarters in the building through a lease agreement with the new owner, First National LLC, a group that also owns Bienville Apartments on South Frontage Road. Middle floors, most of which are unoccupied, will become residential spaces for lease or sale, said Nicole Gilmer, a business and property manager for First National LLC.

The future of a law firm on the top floor was uncertain.

“The roof of that building has a beautiful view of the river” and may lend itself to a rooftop terrace, Gilmer said. “We’d would like to turn that into a community area for residents to use.

“The building is structurally sound — there’s a lot to be done, certainly, but it’s going to be top of the line,” Gilmer said.

Though the number and style of residential units has not been determined, Gilmer said renovations may start as early as next month.

“We believe this transaction presents a great opportunity to preserve a landmark building and continue the revitalization of the downtown area at the same time,” Hall said.

Built in 1905, the building at 1301 Washington St. is eight stories tall. When it was constructed, it was the tallest building in Mississippi. Hall said the decision to build it was a “very aggressive” move for what was then First National Bank of Vicksburg.

The “bank’s directors had a good feeling about Vicksburg,” he said. So much so that they spent about $300,000 or almost all of the bank’s net worth at the time. A price for Wednesday’s sale was not disclosed.

First National dated to 1884 in Vicksburg. Its first office was on the northwest corner of Washington and Crawford streets. It later moved to Clay Street east of Washington Street before moving to the current building.

Attorney Ken Rector, a partner in the firm of Wheeless, Shappley, Bailess and Rector, said the lawyers were pleased with the sale. “The renovation and revitalization of the Trustmark building by the new ownership will be a giant step forward for downtown Vicksburg,” Rector said. Another partner, Bobby Bailess, said, “we’re not sure yet” about continuing as a tenant. “That’s the best way I can say it,” Bailess said. “We have had some discussions with the new owner about staying here, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before a decision is made.”

Bailess, also president of the Mississippi Bar Association, also called the news a mixed blessing. “I’m disappointed to the extent that I don’t particularly like change, but I’m not disappointed in that I’m excited that somebody has enough faith in downtown Vicksburg to try and tackle this project.” he said.

The firm, which employs nine, uses the entire top floor and stores items on several other floors in the building. It has been a tenant for decades and dates to 1878, when it was known as Birchett & Gilland.

Hall said longtime customers will not have to take their business elsewhere. The bank and the new owners have worked out a lease and regular bank operations will continue. Trustmark will move some noncustomer operations to the basement, which houses safety deposit boxes and the vault. The bank will continue to use all of the first floor and part of the second floor. The trust, mortgage and investment departments, currently located on the fourth floor, will be moved to locations that have not yet been determined, Hall said. “We’re looking at our options right now and all that will be determined in the next 30 days,” he said.

The structure remains one of the tallest in the city, said Vicksburg Fire Department spokesman Leslie Decareaux. The city’s other tallest buildings include The Vicksburg, residential apartments at Clay and Walnut streets, which stands about 120 feet tall, and the eight-story Ameristar Casino Hotel. Constructed mostly of concrete and steel, Bailess said the Trustmark building is in very good condition. “It withstood the ’53 tornado. From a structural standpoint it’s just as solid as it ever was,” he said. “He’s got a solid old building.”

The bank as well as the nearby Merchants National Bank building were hubs of commerce for most of the last century. The Merchants building was removed and is now a park and parking area on Washington at Crawford. Doctors, dentists, insurance firms and barber shops operated on the different levels.

The bank was also unscathed by the 2006 collapse of the former Thomas Furniture building at 711 Clay St. on Jan. 25, 2006. The collapse interrupted the bank’s drive-through operations were interrupted for nearly four months. Customers could enter the Walnut Street ramp leading to Trustmark Bank’s drive-through below the two-story parking garage behind the bank’s main branch, but could not exit onto Clay Street because of unstable debris. Hall said in 2006 the bank’s drive through window served about 80 vehicles per day before the collapse.

Although the firm might be in search of new digs, Bailess said he’s still excited about the building’s future and the possibility of bringing more people to live downtown. “More and more people are trying to get in a position of less maintenance, less travel and with the turnaround that we’ve got downtown, all the people who are presently occupying the upstairs commercial buildings,” he said. “I think it makes sense. I think it’s a really good thing.”