The former St. Luke Community Hospital facility is the subject of a joint LSU College of Design senior class project that is to conclude this December with completed landscape and interior design proposals, provided at no cost to the parish.
The St. Landry Parish Council voted 7-6 on Jan. 18 in favor of an agreement with St. Martin Parish to dissolve the hospital district and divide its assets.
The hospital district has about $1.4 million and the hospital in assets. The agreement gives St. Landry Parish the hospital and about $500,000.
The St Martin Parish Council voted 9-0 to approve the agreement to end the district formed in 1963.
A group of Arnaudville residents want to turn the building into a French Immersion Campus to draw students from across the world.
Twenty-four students met Sept. 8, at Tee Tiny Houses of Arnaudville for discussions on possible site uses, and then regrouped at the former hospital facility for a walk-through.
Ideas discussed included re-design of the space utilizing furniture and materials on hand for multipurpose use including dormitory space, administrative offices, research archive, sustainable landscaping including a walking path, community/social space.
Architect and LSU Professor of Interior Design T.L. Richie said the mock-exercise of taking an actual vacant building and treating it as a “real client” permits students the experience of actual processes. She thanked St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot for his support and assistance with the invaluable teaching opportunity.
Huey Wyble, director of the Arnaudville Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes students will consider presenting their designs in Arnaudville. Fontenot said the former hospital facility could be made available for the public to walk through in conjunction with a student presentation of designs.
