The State of Louisiana recently gave permission to Concordia Parish’s hospital district to borrow $2.5 million as a down payment of sorts on a new hospital facility.

But just because the state says you can do something doesn’t mean that you should do it.

The hospital district’s board contends a new hospital building must be built outside of the Town of Ferriday, closer to Vidalia. Doing so, they say will ensure more usage by parish residents.

But that’s a build it and they will come approach. We hope for the parish’s sake that approach proves correct.

But more over, we encourage the board to think long and hard before fully committing to the new facility about what the hospital closure may mean for the town of Ferriday.

Most important, we urge hospital district leaders to make a plan — now — for what they will do to the current hospital facility.

The absolute last thing Ferriday needs is another enormous empty building, slowly rotting away.

Demolishing the building would be extremely costly, but it may prove the best option if a buyer willing to take on the enormous building cannot be found.

Regardless, constructing a new hospital building doesn’t remove the liability for the existing structure.