The legendary New Orleans restauranteur Dickie Brennan will soon bring his classic Louisiana cuisine to Mississippi in an effort to bring life back to a historic hotel that has been closed since 2014.

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson and other local leaders announced a new project to reopen the 1927 Eola Hotel. The building has been closed since 2014.

Groundbreaking for renovations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022, Gibson said.

Developer Hayes Dent of Jackson said he has been working in partnership with Kevin Preston of the Magnolia Bluffs Casino to make the project possible, as well as Dickie Brennan of New Orleans, who is expected to be in charge of food and beverage operations at the new Eola Hotel.

Dent said the hotel would be affiliated with a major chain, but did not name the hotel chain.

A major factor in the project moving forward, Dent said, was the donation of the Fry Building by Natchez resident Walter Davis and the Fry family to the City of Natchez. Natchez officials  plan to turn the Fry Building into a parking garage. Gibson said the project would not have happened without a plan for additional parking.