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NEW ORLEANS -- A portion of land on the shuttered Holy Cross campus in the Lower 9th Ward will be redeveloped as a medical clinic. The medical clinic could open by the end of year, according to Holy Cross officials.
New Orleans Baptsit Ministries acquired the land through a sale and donation and plans to open a primary care medical clinic, Christ Community Health Services-NOLA, on 3.5 acres of land on the site from empty lots formerly owned by the all-boys Catholic school which moved to Gentilly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the campus and neighborhood.
According to officials from Holy Cross, the sale includes seven lots on the square fronting St. Claude Avenue and bounded by Reynes, North Rampart and Tennessee streets and the school’s former baseball field on the adjoining square bounded by Reynes, North Rampart, Deslonde and Burgundy streets.
The faith-based non-profit bought the baseball field land for $450,000, according to Holy Cross officials, and the school donated the seven lots to the group as well.
Holy Cross officials see the sale to the non-profit as a fulfilling a commitment to the neighborhood which storm-ravaged in Hurricane Katrina's wake.
“When we had to relocate after Hurricane Katrina, we promised our neighbors that we would not abandon our commitment to the Lower 9. Specifically, we promised to work with them to find a like-minded buyer that would continue to connect with and serve the community. Today, I’m happy to report that we have kept that promise," said Charles DiGange, Holy Cross headmaster.
DiGrange added: "New Orleans Baptist Ministries is the perfect successor to Holy Cross at this site, and we are delighted to be working with them to redevelop our old campus in a way that will continue to serve the Lower 9 community and the entire region.”
Christ Community Health Services-NOLA hopes to open the clinic by the end of 2012.
“Our ultimate goal is to provide the full range of primary and preventative care to all age groups, ensuring that those without health insurance have a medical home and access to primary medical and subspecialty care in a community location that is easily accessible. The additional parcel, located one block off St. Claude Avenue, affords the space to develop this fuller range of services if needed,” said Jack Hunter, the executive director of NOBM.
