Charity building could become apartments, condos or city building

NEW ORLEANS - Charity Hospital has been at the center of a major controversy over the last four years, as some called on LSU and the state to restore the flood-damaged facility.

But from Governor Bobby Jindal on down, state leaders insist they will move forward to build a new teaching hospital.

As the prospects of re-opening old Charity as a medical facility dim, new ideas about the building's future are surfacing.

"The (Downtown Development District) has talked to several developers about the potential for old Charity as a residential redevelopment, and we think it makes a lot of sense," said Kurt Weigle, president of the Downtown Development District.

It could take a while to become reality, but Weigle said the wheels are turning.

"The state is planning to put money into old Charity, to gut it, to remediate the environmental issues that are there - fairly simple environmental issues - asbestos and so forth, in order to get it ready for development," he said.

As officials with the Louisiana Recovery Authority continue wrangling with FEMA over reimbursement for damage to Charity, they're considering several options for the building's future.

LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater said the state needs to carry out a feasibility study on the potential re-use of the building.

"We've been taking a close look at it, and obviously we want to do the right thing and make sure the city is involved, because it's gonna have a huge impact on the long term development of the community," Rainwater said. "There are a lot of different folks that have sort of stepped forward and said, 'Hey, we're hearing there are opportunities here.'"

The ideas range from office space, to transforming old Charity into a new city hall, he said.

But officials with the Downtown Development District say developers are mostly focused on adding old Charity to the growing list of downtown residential spaces.

"These are folks who are pretty savvy," Weigle said. "Some of them actually have been in the property. They've kind of kicked the tires, and they think it makes a lot of sense for residential, so that's our number one thrust right now for old Charity."