Help Save a Louisiana Landmark
Take action! Use our online form to tell Gov. Jindal that you're concerned about the future of the historic Charity Hospital building and the surrounding Mid-City historic neighborhood in New Orleans.
Current Status
At a press conference on March 25, 2009, more than 40 local, regional and national organizations joined forces with the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to call on Governor Jindal to order an independent, third-party comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the two leading development plans for Charity Hospital and Lower Mid-City – Louisiana State University's (LSU) proposed new construction in Lower Mid-City and the alternative proposal to gut Charity Hospital and rebuild a new 21st-century hospital within its shell.
The groups argue that a rigorous, side-by-side financial analysis will clear up contradictory claims about construction costs of the two plans, as well as measure the impact of different timelines on job creation, related economic development and health care delivery to the community.
Background Information
In May 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Charity Hospital and the Lower Mid-City New Orleans on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Then and still today, the threat posed is an ill-advised plan to abandon historic Charity Hospital and bulldoze 25 blocks of older and historic buildings to construct two new hospitals for LSU and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
On November 25, 2008, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Louisiana State University officially announced the selection of Lower Mid-City as the site for their new hospitals.
The new hospitals would needlessly destroy the historic neighborhood near Charity Hospital, where residents have been rebuilding and restoring their community since Hurricane Katrina. For LSU, a cheaper, less destructive option would be to rehabilitate Charity Hospital as a state-of-the-art medical center. In fact, a study released by an architectural firm with expertise in medical facilities concluded that this option would be at least 22% less expensive, and at least two years faster, than demolishing scores of homes and building a new facility.
On December 2, 2008, state legislators toured Charity Hospital in New Orleans to learn more about the potential for rehabbing it into a state-of-the-art hospital. LSU officials barred the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and authors of the report – who had hoped to share a vision for a revitalized Charity Hospital – from participating.
Consider the following talking points and some still unanswered questions when making the case for Charity Hospital:
- Charity Hospital is one of the premier examples of Art Deco architecture in Louisiana, and it carries with it a historic legacy that reaches almost 70 years.
- A study commissioned by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and conducted by the renowned health care architectural firm of RMJM Hillier shows that this landmark building could be rehabbed into a state-of-the-art facility while respecting its historic character.
- The report also shows that rehabbing Charity Hospital would save 22% in construction costs alone. This would free up badly-needed funds that could be used for other statewide priorities.
- Rehabilitating Charity Hospital would be faster – saving at least two years over the new construction option. This fast-track approach could jump start the local economy, as well as accelerate the return of jobs, research and economic development – all without destroying historic homes and businesses in the adjacent neighborhood.
- It is unreasonable to demolish so many homes and businesses when people are struggling to rebuild their community after Hurricane Katrina, as the city still faces a severe housing crisis.
Take Action
The proposed medical centers represent the single largest facilities project that will be undertaken in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They will involve massive federal spending and a major appropriation of state funding. Because of this, they should be a critical component to the rebirth of downtown New Orleans. With so many different entities involved and so much at stake, it falls to the governor to step in and bring impartial evaluation and clarity to the process.
Use our online form to urge Governor Jindal to step in and order an independent cost-benefit analysis of the competing plans.
Submitted by National Trust at: April 30, 2009
Charity Hospital was actually listed last year, and the National Trust remains committed to saving this iconic building and the surrounding neighborhood. As our work continues, check out last year's listing and stay tuned for updates: http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/charity-hospital-neighborhood.html
Submitted by Anonymous at: April 28, 2009
In the light that folks here are up against the State in LSU, and that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is the top advocate for historic preservation. Why is Charity Hospital not on your list of top 11 endangered historic sites? Thank you for your work