The now defunct St. James Parish Youth Detention Center was put on sale this spring for $2.5 million.

That was the price tag the parish received when the facility was appraised, along with its grounds.

The parish had the option of lowering the amount sought by 25 percent each month, and predictably, the asking price has gone south as the months have passed.

There just wasn’t much demand, at full price, for the facility, which by all accounts, is going to have to be heavily renovated or demolished for a second life as temporary housing, hotel or whatever.

In May, St. James Parish Council members reduced the sale price from $2.5 million to $1.87 million — 75 percent of its appraised value.

No one wanted to give the land away, and at the time, parish leadership indicated the price wouldn’t drop further.

One month later the sale price dropped to 65 percent of its appraised value.

This month, Council members chose not to take action on the sale price after it was suggested, should the price drop to 50 percent of the appraised value, or $1.25 million, third party groups were ready to make an offer.

The parish paid $3,000 for electricity at the unused facility in June before turning the power off. Water and gas have already been turned off. The parish is still paying insurance and has an employee going out to the location three days a week to do inspections; otherwise, there is no round-the-clock security at the unmanned facility located off Louisiana 70.

The center closed last summer because of increased costs to run it.

A parishwide 1-mill tax is now used to pay for local youth offenders to be housed in a detention center in Assumption Parish.

Alternative uses for the facility have been discussed, including affordable housing, a work-release program, minimum-security jail or dormitory housing for industrial manpower.

No matter anyone’s wants for the facility, what is fact is St. James Parish is no longer in the juvenile detention business. What the location was designed for is no longer used.

Should parish leaders receive certain guarantees from a potential buyer, all of which could be negotiated into the sale contract, Council members would be wise to consider selling the property for as low as 50 percent of the appraised value.

They would be moving on from a location dormant since the summer of 2013 and, if agreed through negotiation, ensuring future development at a site that is now nothing more than an eyesore.