RMJM Hillier made the following findings in a recent report on Charity Hospital:
A new study shows that despite the ravages of Katrina it would be cheaper and quicker to gut and rebuild Big Charity rather than build a fancy new hospital in New Orleans.
Click here to view the full article by the Daily World
Senator David Vitter urges Governor Bobby Jindal to consider the findings from RJMJ the architectural firm that conducted the assessment of Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Vitter highlights the renovations to Charity comes with a smaller price tag for Louisiana tax payers and faster completion date.
Click here to view a PDF of the official letter sent.
A comprehensive architectural assessment of the Medical Center of New Orleans was released today by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL) demonstrating that “Big Charity” can be rehabilitated as a state-of-the art medical facility according to RMJM Hillier, the architectural firm that conducted the assessment.
The FHL was charged by the Legislature in House Concurrent Resolution 89 to “examine and evaluate the entire Big Charity structure to determine the advisability of repairing or restructuring the entire facility.”
“Our assessment shows that there are no fundamental flaws that would impede the rehabilitation of Charity Hospital into a state-of-the-art modern facility,” said Dr. George C. Skarmeas, founding principal of RMJM Hillier’s Preservation Architecture Practice Group. “Big Charity is one of the premier examples of Art Deco architecture in New Orleans and its rehabilitation would provide the most sustainable way to create a contemporary hospital while preserving a key part of the city’s history. The re-use of this iconic historic landmark would be a symbol of New Orleans’ rebirth.”
“Charity Hospital has the potential to be a very good healthcare facility in its design, floor space and close connection to a community with serious healthcare needs,” said Steve McDaniel, RMJM Hillier’s leader in designing healthcare and research facilities. “Renovating and modernizing Charity Hospital will take much less time and will be significantly less expensive than building a new hospital. Big Charity’s current vacant state allows for an easier upgrade to a modern state-of-the-art facility including a new main entrance lobby on Tulane Avenue, a Level 1 trauma center and new patient-centered environment.”
“We know there are rumors about the condition and status of Charity Hospital since its closing after the storm. This assessment provides much-needed facts and an in-depth analysis with supporting data to clearly demonstrate the facility’s viability for transformation into an ultra-modern medical facility, in the fastest and most cost effective manner,” said Sandra Stokes, vice chair of the FHL Board of Directors. “The rebuilt charity Hospital would be completed two years earlier than a new hospital, saving million in financing costs, the expense of running an interim hospital and loss in revenue that would result from the extra time needed for a new facility.”
According to the assessment, the building envelope, including exterior walls, windows, and roof, can be effectively restored. The structural system is extremely sound, and with a few modifications, it will be fully functional as a state-of-the-art healthcare facility. Having this useful and structurally sound building shell already in place should save at least 2 years off the delivery date of a new building, which would require acquiring a very large parcel of land, relocating the people who live there, and building from scratch a brand new building. Charity’s vacant state allows easier upgrade to state-of-the-art facility and the re-use of existing buildings is a sustainable way to build.
The building footprint, with its H-shape, complies with modern hospital design goals of enhancing day lighting and providing views from all rooms. The existing floor plates are workable for a first class healthcare facility, except for the 3rd floor, which RMJM Hillier proposes enlarging, the report states.
The assessment calls for the removal of all interior partitions, ceilings, and finishes to ensure that no environmental concerns remain and seeks a new interior fit-out of the entire building as well as an innovative entrance atrium. The recommended design will meet the latest code requirement for hurricane-force winds.
Beyond the construction cost savings of at least twenty percent, the report also states that there would be significant savings in time of construction required for Charity, as compared to a new facility. Having this useful and structurally sound building shell already in place should save at least two years off the delivery date of a new building, which would require acquiring a large parcel of land, relocating people, and constructing a new building.
Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said that the National Trust named Charity Hospital and the adjacent Mid-City neighborhood to its 2008 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places because both the building and its surrounding neighborhood contribute to New Orleans' unique architectural landscape. "This report confirms what we've long believed: Charity Hospital is a viable candidate for rehabilitation and reuse. By rehabbing Charity and preserving the 25 blocks of historic houses around it, New Orleans can get two things it desperately needs: top-quality medical facilities and livable in-town neighborhoods."
“Historic preservation and 21st Century healthcare are not mutually exclusive. This report demonstrates that New Orleans can be a leader in both,” according to Walter Gallas, director of the National Trust’s New Orleans Field Office.
Charity Hospital was closed by the LSU Health Sciences Center in September 2005 after Katrina. In 2006, the Louisiana Legislature asked for the independent assessment in House Resolution #89. RMJM Hillier was retained by FHL to complete the assessment.
According to FHL Executive Director Carolyn Bennett, “The Foundation for Historical Louisiana was named by the state Legislature to spearhead an independent study of Big Charity and our Board of Directors took this charge very seriously. RMJM Hillier's in-depth assessment now opens the way for fact based discussions on the quickest and most cost-efficient way to restore healthcare to New Orleans. FHL urges our elected officials and health care leaders to carefully examine the assessment and use this Art Deco landmark of medical, cultural, and historic importance as the magnificent starting point of a first-class facility for the citizens of Louisiana."
The 1938 Art Deco Charity Hospital structure was originally designed by the firm of Weiss, Dreyfous, and Seiferth. This same group created the Louisiana State Capitol, the Old Governor’s Mansion, the LSU French House, the Eola Hotel of Natchez, and the Shushan Lakefront Airport in New Orleans.
RMJM Hillier has extensive experience in both modern healthcare facility design and assessment and rehabilitation of historical buildings. Recent modernization projects include the U. S. Supreme Court, the Virginia State Capitol, and the St. Louis Public Library. The firm also has a superb record in building state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, laboratories and academic research facilities including the University Medical Center at Princeton, Duke University’s Global Health Research Building, Louisiana Cancer Research Center and University of South Alabama Cancer Center.
The Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s mission is to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of Louisiana. The organization dates back to 1963 and it is a local partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Foundation headquarters is located in the Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge (also a Weiss, Dreyfous, and Seiferth building), which it operates in a cooperative endeavor agreement with the State of Louisiana.
An executive summary of the assessment and the report can be viewed at fhl.org and at rmjmpress.com.
For More Information Call:
FHL Vice Chair Sandra Stokes 225-445-3800
FHL Executive Director Carolyn Bennett 225-931-7561;
Virgil McDill National Trust for Historic Preservation, 202-294-9187
Walter Gallas, National Trust New Orleans Field Office 504-400-3017
Neill Coleman, RMJM Hillier, 646-244-1814
Images available via Neill Coleman at RMJM Hillier at ncoleman@rmjmhillier.com.
July 3rd, 2008 - Direct Link to
A year ago, USA Today told its readers about a feisty Mid-City resident named Bobbi Rogers. Back then, Ms. Rogers was excited about getting started on the renovation of her flood-damaged house. Today, she's dismayed because her home, now beautifully refurbished, is threatened with demolition.
The threat to Ms. Rogers' home -- and many other structures in her neighborhood -- arises from a plan to build a new Veterans Administration medical facility and a 424-bed teaching hospital to replace Charity Hospital, which has been shuttered and moldering since Hurricane Katrina. The plan, which was recently given the go-ahead by Gov. Bobby Jindal and Secretary Alan Levine of the Department of Health and Hospitals, would destroy 150-200 homes and businesses.
In other words, people who saw their homes swamped by rising floodwaters could now see them flattened by roaring bulldozers.
The seriousness of the threat led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to include Charity Hospital and the adjacent historic neighborhood on its 2008 list of America 's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
The listing spotlights our alarm over the possible loss of "Big Charity," which is New Orleans ' premiere example of Art Deco design, and a major part of the Mid-City Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It also reflects our concern that plans for constructing the new medical facilities are being pushed too fast, before all the facts are in.
As mandated by a resolution of the state Legislature in 2006, an assessment of the Charity Hospital building is currently being carried out under the direction of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana; the final report on the structural condition of this important landmark is expected to be released by mid-August. The information in this report should be a major factor in -- not an afterthought to -- any decision about the need to construct new hospitals.
Similarly, the destruction of part of the historic Mid-City neighborhood and the displacement of its residents should not be contemplated until there has been a full and open discussion of the reasoning behind a decision that will impact hundreds of families. Up to now, most New Orleanians -- including the owners of property within the proposed footprint of the new hospitals -- have learned about the project primarily through the media. That's wrong. When residents are facing the threat of removal from their neighborhood, they shouldn't be expected to comply meekly, with no explanation of why they are being uprooted.
The National Trust urges the New Orleans City Council, the city's Office of Recovery and Development Administration, the Regional Planning Commission, LSU and the VA to open up the process. When site selection and facility design proceed in a manner that is contrary to established guidelines for historic preservation and environmental reviews the public is understandably left with the impression that federal, state and local agencies are merely going through the motions of compliance.
We all deserve better than this. Specifically, we deserve meaningful discussion of alternative sites within New Orleans, a rationale for the choice of the Mid-City location and a discussion of the extraordinary size of the proposed footprint.
No one disputes that New Orleans needs top-quality, 21st-century facilities for health care, medical education and research. But meeting this need doesn't have to involve the needless sacrifice of a historic neighborhood whose residents have already demonstrated their determination to put Katrina behind them and rebuild their lives in the area they love. If the new medical facilities are truly needed, there are viable alternative sites for them -- sites that won't force people to choose between shiny hospitals and familiar homes.
. . . . . . .
Richard Moe is president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Sent May 29, 2008
The Foundation for Historical Louisiana, pursuant to its charge in HCR 89, has recently hired the firm of RMJM Hillier to do an independent assessment of Big Charity Hospital. RMJM Hillier is an internationally renowned architectural firm that specializes in both preservation and state of the art healthcare design. Due to be completed by August 21, this in-depth evaluation will be the first study to determine the structural integrity of this building and the possibilities of restoring and renovating Charity to a first rate medical facility.
Charity Hospital has been a part of Louisiana’s architectural, cultural and medical heritage for 272 years. Last week the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the hospital and its adjacent neighborhood as one of America’s 11 most treasured and endangered sites. Since its closing there have been several assessments of the hospital, but only to determine the monetary amount of damages to be reimbursed by FEMA. There has been no study to determine the viability and reuse potential of this monumental landmark. That is until now.
The Foundation has worked diligently to fulfill the charge unanimously passed by the 2006 Legislature in House Concurrent Resolution 89. HCR 89 provided no appropriation, thus the study is being funded by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and donors. We are proud to have been chosen to lead this fact finding mission to provide the first independent assessment of the building and to determine its viability for any future medical use. With the cooperation of the State Office of Facility Planning and LSU, RMJM Hillier has begun this critical evaluation to gather the full data.
We ask that all decisions concerning Charity Hospital and/or a proposed new hospital, which will demolish over 25 blocks of historic homes and businesses in a National Register of Historic Places neighborhood, be put on hold until we have the results from this assessment of a Louisiana icon. Our findings will be issued to the full Legislature, LSU Board of Supervisors, State Office of Facility Planning, and Louisiana Recovery Authority by August 21, 2008.
Sincerely,
Sandra L. Stokes
Executive Vice Chair
This letter was sent to the following recipients:
Governor Bobby Jindal
Mr. Jay Dardenne, Secretary of State
Mr. John Kennedy, State Treasurer
Honorable Joel T. Chaisson, President of the Senate
Honorable Jim Tucker, Speaker of the House
Members of the Louisiana State Senate
Members of the Louisiana State House of Representatives
Ms. Angele Davis, Commissioner of Administration
Mr. Jerry Shea Jr. Chairman, LSU Board of Supervisors
Mr. John Lombardi, President, Louisiana State University
Dr. Fred Cerise, Vice-President, LSU Health Care Service Division
Mr. Jerry Jones, Director, Facility Planning & Control
Mr. Alfred W. Spears, Clerk of the House
Mr. Paul Rainwater, Executive Director, Louisiana Recovery Authority
Mr. Mark Moses, Senior Manager, Facility Planning & Control
Mr. Kenneth Odinet, State Representative Emeritus
Mr. Jim Howell, University Architect, LSU
Mr. Walter Gallas, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Ms. Carolyn Bennett, FHL Executive Director
Mr. Alan Levine, Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals
Ms. Sybil Richard, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals
Mr. Rony Francois, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Health
Kristi Nichols, Health Policy Advisor to the Governor
STATEMENT FROM NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRESIDENT RICHARD MOE ON JINDAL ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN FOR NEW DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL
This is precisely the wrong message to send to homeowners who have demonstrated their determination to return home and rebuild in New Orleans' unique historic neighborhoods.
Last month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Charity Hospital and the adjacent historic Mid-City neighborhood on its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. While the National Trust agrees that New Orleans needs and deserves 21st century facilities for health care, medical research, and medical education, we cannot condone sacrificing intact portions of a historic city neighborhood.
A structural building assessment of the Charity Hospital building is proceeding under the direction of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, as charged by a resolution of the State Legislature in 2006. By mid-August, RMJM Hillier of Philadelphia will release its final report on the structural condition of this important landmark. The National Trust urges Governor Jindal and Secretary Levine to include the information from this professional team in its planning for New Orleans' health care.
Viable alternative sites exist in New Orleans—alternatives which could lessen the impacts on historic properties and still deliver on the promise of excellence in health care facilities. The National Trust for Historic Preservation will continue to work to ensure that these alternatives receive the full consideration that they deserve.
Richard Moe
President
National Trust for Historic Preservation
It is heartbreaking to report that our own Charity Hospital building is endangered unless we do something right now. Your help is urgently needed today.
The Foundation for Historical Louisiana is working relentlessly to save this historical icon of Louisiana’s architectural, cultural and medical heritage.
With the authority of House Concurrent Resolution 89 passed by the 2006 Louisiana legislature, the Foundation has hired an internationally renowned architectural firm to do an independent assessment of Big Charity to determine if it can be restored. This is the only study to determine if the building is a viable structure for future use. Previous studies have only been to determine the amount of funding that might be reimbursed through FEMA. The Louisiana legislature is to receive a report by August 21, 2008.
The resolution did not appropriate any money for the evaluation; therefore the Foundation is seeking private funding for this assessment. Without a professional study a truly informed decision can not be made about the future of the building. Decisions about its future must be evidence-based.
Please consider donating to the Foundation’s “Charity Hospital Fund” to help save this building. In addition to abandoning Charity Hospital and the former VA facilities, plans for new construction call for the demolition of 200 buildings constructed prior to 1880 in 25 blocks of an adjacent National Register Historic District, despite the existence of a largely vacant site nearby.
Any donation is gratefully accepted and will help us preserve this Louisiana landmark. You will also receive one of our “SAVE CHARITY HOSPITAL” decals along with a donation receipt for tax purposes.
Also, please contact your legislators. Use the links on our website tosend an email to Governor Bobby Jindal and Secretary of Health and Hospitals Alan Levine, asking them to incorporate the facts from this assessment in the decisions made about the future of Charity Hospital.
If you have questions, please email the Foundation for Historical Louisiana at fhla@bellsouth.net and continue to visit our website for updates.
We need your help. Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Sandra L. Stokes
Executive Vice Chair
Foundation for Historical Louisiana
Katrina-Battered Hospital Seeks Life Support
Washington, D.C. (May 20, 2008) – Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Charity Hospital and the adjacent neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, to its 2008 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The annual list highlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk for destruction or irreparable damage.
Once a prestigious center of medical training and a beacon for public health care, Charity Hospital now faces an uncertain future. Surrounded by flood waters when Hurricane Katrina shattered the levees around New Orleans, the Art Deco icon has been shuttered and vacant for nearly three years. Despite its legendary role in serving hundreds of thousands of uninsured patients and the critical need for medical facilities in New Orleans, this historic building continues to languish and remains vulnerable to demolition.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the basement of Charity Hospital suffered water damage and some of the electrical and mechanical systems were damaged or destroyed. After the water receded, the medical community, the military and a number of volunteers pumped out the flooded basement, cleaned up the debris, and restored electrical power to make the building usable again, but the doors to the hospital were permanently locked when the building was deemed unsafe and unusable by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Medical System.
At present, LSU is moving forward with plans for a new medical complex alongside a new facility for the Veterans Administration (VA). In addition to abandoning Charity Hospital and the former VA facilities, the plans for new construction call for the demolition of some 200 homes and buildings constructed prior to 1880 in 25 blocks of an adjacent National Register Historic District, despite the existence of a largely vacant site nearby. In addition to providing homes for hundreds of people, the Mid-City neighborhood is also the location of several significant, historically important buildings, such as Deutsches Haus, a German social organization from the 1920s, and McDonogh No. 11 School, which dates to 1879.
Today, preservation groups are rallying to save Charity Hospital and protect it from deteriorating beyond repair. Beginning with an intervention grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, in fulfilling its charge from the State Legislature, is continuing to raise funds for an independent assessment of the building. The Foundation has hired RMJM Hillier of Philadelphia to assess the building’s overall structural condition and its potential reuse for medical services. Grassroots organizations are also leading the charge in raising awareness on both a national and local level and galvanizing efforts to determine viable alternatives for the facility.
“The reuse potential as well as the architectural and cultural significance of Charity Hospital should not be ignored in the process of determining the fate of this historic treasure,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We cannot afford to stand idly by and allow the loss of such a valuable and architecturally significant building, along with the destruction of a large portion of the nearby historic neighborhood.”
Charity Hospital is the premier example of Art Deco architecture in New Orleans and carries with it a historic legacy that reaches back more than 250 years. Classically designed with streamline elements, the H-shaped building was designed by the firm of Weiss, Dreyfous & Seiferth, which also designed the Art Deco State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Founded in 1735 to serve the indigent, Charity’s social impact derived from its commitment to progressive health care for the poor. In addition to being the second oldest continuing public hospital in the United States, Charity was the second largest hospital in the nation until it was closed in September 2005.
Boyd Theatre, Philadelphia, Pa. - Philadelphia’s last surviving downtown movie palace—a masterpiece of Art Deco design—faces an uncertain future as it sits vacant and remains vulnerable to demolition. It awaits a preservation-minded buyer to return the vintage venue to its original grandeur.
California’s State Parks - California’s state park system, the largest park system in the U.S., encompasses a vast array of historic and cultural resources that chronicle the state’s rich and storied heritage. It also has suffered greatly from years of chronic underfunding and has $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance. Proposed budget cuts, which would have led to the closure of 48 state parks, have been staved off. The underlying problem remains. Current funds only cover 40% of actual maintenance and operations needs, which means irreplaceable historic and cultural resources remain endangered.
Charity Hospital and the adjacent neighborhood, New Orleans, La. – While Charity Hospital sits abandoned, plans call for the demolition of nearly 200 homes in the adjacent Mid-City neighborhood to accommodate construction of two new hospitals. Alternate locations for the new hospitals are available, and Charity Hospital, a National Register-eligible building that closed after Hurricane Katrina, could be rehabilitated to once again serve the community.
Great Falls Portage, Great Falls, Mont. – This National Historic Landmark, one of the best preserved landscapes along the Lewis and Clark Trail, is slated to get a massive coal-fired power plant in its front yard. Development abutting the Great Falls Portage, an undeveloped rural area under panoramic blue Montana skies, will irreparably harm the cultural and visual landscape.
Hangar One, Moffett Field, Santa Clara County, Calif. – The hangar, a local icon built in 1932 to house U.S. Navy dirigibles, is a cavernous, 200 foot tall dome-shaped structure covering more than 8 acres of land. A 2003 inspection revealed PCBs leaking from the hangar’s metallic exterior. Although the Navy transferred Hangar One to NASA in 1992, the Navy is responsible for environmental remediation, but has no mandate to replace the exterior and preserve the building.
The Lower East Side, New York City - The Lower East Side embodies the history of immigration, one of the central themes of American history in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, yet development threatens to erase the surviving historic structures. This includes houses of worship, historic theaters, schools and the tenement, a unique architectural type which, by the sheer numbers who lived in such a building, had an impact on more Americans than any other form of urban housing. A New York City landmark designation and contextual zone changes within the neighborhood would preserve the physical character of the neighborhood.
Michigan Avenue Streetwall, Chicago, Ill. - This 12-block stretch of historic buildings—dating back to the 1880s—is a virtual encyclopedia of the work of the city’s best architects, including Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan. Although this “streetwall” was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002, its historic character is now being threatened by the inappropriate addition of large-scale towers that retain only small portions of the original buildings or their facades.
Peace Bridge Neighborhood, Buffalo, N.Y. - The neighborhood and the site, with homes and buildings dating to the 1850s on two National Register Olmsted parks, is an iconic section of the City of Buffalo. The Public Bridge Authority (PBA) proposes to expand Peace Bridge and include a 45 acre plaza that will eliminate over 100 homes and businesses (dozens of which are eligible to the National Register) and diminish the Olmsted parks. Suitable alternate sites exist, but PBA refuses to properly consider them.
The Statler Hilton Hotel, Dallas, Texas - When the Statler Hilton opened in downtown Dallas in 1956, it was hailed as the most modern hotel in the country. Today, the building sits vacant. Located on an increasingly attractive piece of real estate, the Statler Hilton faces an uncertain future as encroaching development pressure heightens the threat of demolition. Current regulations restrict alternate uses, so a sympathetic developer is needed to restore and reopen the Statler as a hotel.
Sumner Elementary School, Topeka, Kan. - The school, a National Historic Landmark, helped launch the nation’s Civil Rights Movement as the centerpiece of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Currently vacant, the school suffers from deferred maintenance and has sustained significant damage from water infiltration and vandalism. Though the city of Topeka owns the school and is required to maintain and protect it, the City Council has authorized its demolition. A sympathetic developer is needed to save and restore this icon.
Vizcaya and the Bonnet House, Fla. - Pending development of out-of-scale buildings and corresponding zoning changes will permanently ruin the vistas surrounding Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (Miami) and Bonnet House Museum & Gardens (Ft. Lauderdale) and threatens to set a precedent for future high-rise structures.
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified 200 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. While a listing does not ensure the protection of a site or guarantee funding, the designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history.
To download high resolution images of this year’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, please visit http://press.nationaltrust.org
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, 9 regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. For more information, visit www.PreservationNation.org.
Carolyn Bennett (speaking), Walter Gallas (center) and Sandra Stokes (far right) at the Press Conference
OPENING REMARKS
My name is Walter Gallas. I am the director of the New Orleans Field Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Welcome to residents and friends, area business owners, and representatives of neighborhood institutions.
Today in New York City, even as we meet here, the president of the National Trust, Richard Moe, is announcing America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. We are here to place “Charity Hospital and the Adjacent Neighborhood” on the Trust’s 11 Most Endangered List for 2008.
Since 1988, the National Trust has been identifying threatened historic places in this manner to spur a national discussion about why these places matter and why they deserve protection. Over the years, some 200 historic places have been listed. While listing doesn’t guarantee total protection, it has at times spurred rethinking of plans, raised awareness and funding, or galvanized a community to succeed in saving an important place in history.
The Trust organization doesn’t arrive at its decision without considerable internal discussion and careful examination of the situation.
Here in New Orleans, we found the opportunity to deliver two main messages: 1) that the future of the Charity Hospital building looks bleak unless we all support serious efforts to independently evaluate its structural condition and its potential for continued medical uses; and 2) that the future of the residents and business owners in the 25 blocks of this Mid-City neighborhood where we are today looks equally bleak if planning for new LSU and VA hospitals is based on wholesale demolition of sections of the Mid-City National Register District, tossing aside historic buildings to clear the way for a development which will sprawl across over 70 acres.
We are going to hear from a few individuals who are intimately tied in with both of these issues.
At this time, I’d like to introduce Sandra Stokes, executive vice chair of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.
The Foundation for Historical Louisiana is so pleased to have Charity Hospital and the surrounding neighborhood named to the National Trust’s 11 Most Endangered list. To say it is an honor is a paradox. It just means we are in the most danger of losing these important buildings.
Many in New Orleans and throughout the world have a history and connection with Charity. In the 275 year legacy of the Charity Hospital System, millions of patients have been treated. Thousands of the best doctors and nurses throughout the United States have trained in her halls. It is an icon that belongs to New Orleans – a Nationally known landmark – and a proud part of our Architectural, Cultural and Medical Heritage.
In 2006, the LA Legislature passed a resolution charging the Foundation for Historical LA to do an independent assessment of the Hospital. The Foundation has been working diligently to fulfill this obligation.
This resolution, HCR 89, asks the Foundation to not only assess the building structurally, but also for medical use. There have been assessments commissioned before this, but they have been only to determine the monetary amount of damages caused by Katrina - to be reimbursed by FEMA.
This is the first independent assessment of the building to determine its viability.
After a careful selection process, the Foundation for Historical LA has hired the international renowned architectural firm of RMJM Hillier, who specializes in both Preservation and State of the Art Healthcare design.
This much needed assessment will gather the facts. From this, we can determine exactly what is the potential for the future of this landmark. 12 weeks after gaining access to the building, we will have reports that will say exactly what it will take to get this building back into service.
New Orleans and Louisiana are so fortunate to have the National Trust’s spotlight and recognition on Big Charity Hospital. We know that with their help and national attention, focus can be brought to our efforts to preserve this monumental icon and the surrounding neighborhood.
Good morning. I’m Carolyn Bennett, Executive Director of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.
The Foundation is a local partners of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Foundation nominated Big Charity to the National Trust’s 11 Most Endangered List. Projects like this do not happen without volunteers and I want to acknowledge Todd Callendar who worked on this voluminous and highly competitive application.
Charity Hospital is a monumental landmark designed by a renowned firm that also built the Louisiana State Capitol, the 1930 Old Governor’s Mansion, the LSU French House. Charity Hospital is eminently eligible for the National Register of Historic Places with the U. S. Department of the Interior.
In September 2005 the Foundation began speaking out on behalf of Charity Hospital. It was a natural. Our mission is to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of Louisiana. I can tell you that this is the biggest building the Foundation has ever tried to save.
Big Charity is one million square feet.
We all recycle. Recycling is a way of life for all of us. Recycling our historic buildings is the smartest step we can take.
Think of the embodied energy and history in this one million square foot structure and the 200 houses in this adjacent neighborhood that are threatened.
The greenest buildings are the ones already standing. Like this one behind us.
The Foundation says--Reuse, Reinvest in, Retrofit, and Respect the historic integrity of America’s older building stock.
You can’t build back a great city like New Orleans by tearing down all its vintage homes and landmarks, like this neighborhood and Charity Hospital.
This listing of Charity Hospital and its adjacent neighborhoods is more that saving a landmark, it can mean saving lives
“Charity” does begin at home. Save Big Charity and the 200 homes in this neighborhood. Thank you.
Note: To donate to the dedicated fund for the assessment of Charity Hospital, please contact Carolyn Bennett at the The Foundation for Historical Louisiana, 225-387-2464. Donations are fully tax-deductible.
Donations are now accepted online!
CLOSING REMARKS
In 2004, the National Trust named Chicago’s Cook County Hospital to its 11 Most Endangered List. The Cook County Board had voted the year before to demolish it. In August 2007, the board presented plans for the renovation and re-use of the building to support the medical community. The building was known as the Statue of Liberty of hospitals for its treatment of all patients, rich and poor. It was built in 1914.
Today the National Trust for Historic Preservation calls on citizens to contact Governor Bobby Jindal; Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine; the LSU Board of Supervisors; Dr. Fred Cerise, Vice President of the LSU Health Care Service Division; Julie Catellier, Director of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System; Mayor Nagin; and the New Orleans City Council.
Tell them:
Residents and business owners in this neighborhood heeded the mayor’s call to come home and rebuild. Today, a moratorium on building permits has halted their work, sending a message that this community is not important.
Let today’s national attention on “Charity Hospital and the Adjacent Neighborhood” as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places change that message.
We welcome your questions of our speakers and also invite you to talk to a number of residents and business owners.
Thank you.