Provided no concerns arise during the title search, the KANE Radio Station building will soon be converted into doctors’ offices.

The board of commissioners of the Iberia Hospital Service District Thursday night approved hiring Jeff Simon as special counsel to research the title and approved the advertisement of bids for the renovation work. Bids will go out today, said Paul Allain, project architect.

“There are some code issues that will be addressed in the 20-plus-year-old building,” Allain said.

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He told board members other work will include an entrance canopy, additional parking area and inside renovations “to make for easier patient flow.”

There will be a pre-bid meeting April 18 for contractors at the building at 2316 E. Main St., adjacent to property owned by the district.

Bids will be opened May 3 during an 8:30 a.m. finance committee meeting and presented to the full board at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. that same day. If all goes well, Allain said construction should begin at the KANE building May 15.

Jeff Boggs, station manager at KANE, recently said the station plans to vacate the East Main Street building by the first part of April. He said the station was looking for “downtown windowfront” property.

Wally Piekarczyk, chief financial officer, said J. Wayne Landry, the hospital’s counsel, will handle the purchase agreement for the building at no additional cost to the district.

Simon was hired as special counsel because the district attorney’s office, which serves as counsel of record for the board, is not insured to provide specialized services needed to do a title search.

Simon, a private-practice lawyer, specializes in real estate law.

In other action, a search committee was formed to interview candidates for chief administrative officer at the hospital.

Committee members include board chairman Dr. John Falterman and members Glenda Neuville, Jesse Dupuy, Tony Schwing and Mark Pharr Jr.

Larry Rentfro was appointed by Brim Healthcare, the management company of Iberia Medical Center, as interim CEO following the death of James Youree, who was killed in a car crash Feb. 16.

Candidates for the position will be recommended by Brim Healthcare.