Charity Hospital Redevelopment
The adaptive reuse of the one million SF former hospital building damaged by Hurricane Katrina into a dynamic, multi-use community resource
Information
- Location New Orleans, Louisiana
- Size 1,000,000 SF
- Services Architecture
- Project Type Mixed Use
In 1938, Charity Hospital was constructed to expand the public healthcare resources available to the City of New Orleans. Outside of the immediate impact within its walls, the hospital also served as the impetus for the birth of a medical district that slowly grew around it. For nearly 70 years, Charity Hospital was an economic catalyst, spurring the growth of a district built around the medical industry. After Hurricane Katrina, the severity of damage to Charity Hospital permanently shuttered its doors, and the district surrounding it abruptly died. Once a bustling area, it became a strictly vehicular thoroughfare for commuters heading for I-10 or Claiborne Avenue and into the Central Business District.
Impact + Innovation
A 2017 Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel Report on the former Charity Hospital acknowledged that the notion of healing is a critical component of addressing the building’s future. Leaving the historic structure intact as a reminder of its enduring vitality for New Orleans while incorporating workforce development and job training programs, medical training programs, workforce housing, school internship programs, and entrepreneurial co-working endeavors will bring the building back to its stature as a beacon of hope and provide a renewed “Spirit of Charity” to the city of New Orleans. As part of a larger vision called the Spirit of Charity Innovation District, repurposing Charity Hospital will bring renewed vitality, density, and connectivity to the community, city, and the surrounding region. In addition to the physical nature of the redevelopment, the team is using the project as an opportunity to help build equity within the community, both through inclusive programming as well as engagement with disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) firms.
Process
As part of a multidisciplinary team, BNIM is helping lead the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the former Charity Hospital Building in New Orleans into a hub for innovation and community following the damage of Hurricane Katrina which has shuttered the building for many years. BNIM led the master planning initiative for Charity Hospital followed by the core and shell renovation of the 1938 art-deco, 20-story building with Williams Architects. The redevelopment includes a range of programs to serve the New Orleans community including work force and temporary housing, medical training programs, apprenticeship programs for local high school students, retail, restaurants, and a series of outdoor community and green spaces.
People
Team
Collaborators
John C. Williams Architects, LLC.
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