ARNAUDVILLE, La. (KLFY) – The future of the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Arnaudville is still in limbo, and St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot said if the former board does not cooperate it could become the center of a legal battle.

The building has been vacant for nearly a decade and Fontenot says the building no longer belongs to the hospital board.

“The board has been abolished, the hospital district has been dissolved by ordinances by both St. Landry and St. Martin Parish. These are just citizens, as I see it, masquerading as a board because they are no longer a board.”

But despite the two ordinances to abolish the board, board members still met Monday morning to discuss the fate of the building.

The building is in St. Landry Parish Councilman Alvin Stelly’s district. He would like to see the building torn down.

“The way they doing it is not legal so we want an opinion for the attorney general,” said Stelly.

Fontenot said he believes the hospital board and others are against the idea of turning the building into a French immersion school.

“What we have is a small group of people that are still hell bent and have total disdain for the Creole and Cajun-French immersion program that may be a client.”

Fontenot said the final fate of the building is still up in the air; however, he said a survey found 90% of those who responded are in favor of turning it into a French immersion school.

Fontenot also said the hospital board is withholding legal documents.

“Right now he is only a citizen in position of records, accounts, that have over a million dollars in them and has not tried to work out this transition at all with me.”

Fontenot said he’s prepared to take the matter to court.

News Ten made several calls to hospital board members and they did not return immediately our calls.