Negotiations continue on the downtown building owned by the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau toward a fair market price, said VCVB executive director Bill Seratt.

&#8220An offer was made. The board countered, and (the proposed buyer) obviously decided not to accept the offer,” he said.

The offer for the building at 1221 Washington St., came as a surprise on June 13 from Vicksburg Realty, representing the prospective buyer. Seratt did not say who made the offer, but did reveal it was a Florida man who wanted to &#8220invest in downtown Vicksburg.”

The building, formerly a savings and loan bank, has been empty for 18 months since the January 2006 collapse of an adjacent building. Since that time, inspectors have advised that staff could return to the building, but &#8220at their own risk.” While awaiting word on how the city and the owners of the collapsed building will move forward, the board has stationed staff at temporary locations, including a modular structure in the parking lot of its Tourist Information Center across from the Vicksburg National Military Park entrance on Clay.

The move from downtown has been the source of contention among industry professionals, who argue that a tourism presence is needed along Washington Street, the city’s center of tourist activity. But Seratt indicated that it is the goal of the agency to resume its role downtown. In the meantime, a travel counselor has been placed at Lorelei Books on Washington Street.

While maintaining staff at the temporary location, the board continues to pay a mortgage on the vacant building downtown. Selling the property could mean relief for the volunteer board while its members wait out a solution.

&#8220It’s a disturbance to the board to continue making a land payment on a building we can’t safely be in,” Seratt said.

A letter to the editor in The Vicksburg Post’s Sunday edition, written by former board member Bobbie Bingham Morrow, raised questions about the proposed sale. Her letter addressed the fact that the public was not made aware the building was on the market. Seratt said no buyer was sought.

&#8220The offer just appeared and it was a fiscal responsibility for the board to counter with a fair market value,” he said. &#8220There was no pre-selected buyer. The offer came out of the clear blue. There was no hidden agenda.”

He added that anyone could make an offer and take it to the board. If the board accepted an offer and decided to sell the building, Seratt said the money would more than likely go toward another location for VCVB staff.

&#8220If the building sold, the bureau could make other arrangements for a visitor information center,” he said.

Board member David Day, who co-hosts a morning Vicksburg talk radio show on 1490 AM, said he, along with other tourism professionals, would like to see a move to house all tourism agencies in one building.

&#8220I think it’s one of the best ideas – to put all the tourism entities under one roof. If we could somehow get all the groups (together) so we can all focus on tourist counts and help make Vicksburg” a destination, he said.

Day, who would not comment on the offer on the downtown building, said pooling resources to provide one headquarters for tourism entities, such as the VCVB, Vicksburg Main Street, Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce and Vicksburg-Warren Community Alliance is a foreseeable goal for the city.

&#8220It’s been on the table for a little while,” he said. &#8220It actually might happen.”

Seratt said that if the Washington Street building doesn’t sell, the staff will move back once the board gets the &#8220all clear.”

&#8220What happened up the hill from us is very unfortunate. We’re just going to try to work this thing out as responsibly as we can,” Seratt said.

The VCVB’s downtown building, occupied by the agency since 1995, was extensively remodeled in the early 1970s as First Federal Savings and Loan, later Unifirst. Unifirst sold the building to Trustmark, which has its main Vicksburg office across the street. The agency purchased the building in 2001.

The VCVB was created by the Legislature in 1972 as Vicksburg’s and Warren County’s main funding arm for tourism. Its 11-member city- and county-appointed board oversees its funding and staff, which includes full-time and part-time staff.

One county vacancy remains on the board. Although Morrow’s city-appointed term expired last July, she became the top pick of District 2 Supervisor William Banks. After several tries and much controversy, Banks has yet to get enough support from other supervisors to place Morrow on the board.