VIDALIA, La. &045; Aldermen are being asked to OK an agreement that could lead to the relocation of a Ferriday area rehabilitation hospital to the Vidalia riverfront.

In the board’s Tuesday meeting, Town Attorney Jack McLemore told aldermen they’ll need to hold a public hearing as soon as possible to approve the exercising of the Twin Oaks doctors’ partnership’s option to lease 3.5 acres south of the Mississippi River bridge for 99 years.

Twin Oaks would then sublease the land to the Florida-based company that owns Promise Specialty Hospital, now located just south of Ferriday on U.S. 84, Kent Hudson of Natchez, attorney for Twin Oaks, said following the meeting.

&uot;It’ll take seven to nine months to construct this (medical facility), probably about the same as the last one,&uot; McLemore said, referring to Riverpark Medical Center.

The partnership &045; Drs. John White, Barry and Randy Tillman and Rus Fairbanks, along with others &045; opened Riverpark, an outpatient medical center, in late 2003.

Although the town must run a newspaper notice advertising the hearing, McLemore said he’s confident the hearing can be held this month.

Earlier in the meeting, aldermen approved occupational licenses for Professional Trends Inc. (name change only) and World Finance Corp., both on Carter Street.

The board also met for more than one hour in executive session to discuss unspecified personnel matters but took no action.