Charity Hospital to become $500M biomedical hub

Health

Charity Hospital to become $500M biomedical hub

6 sourcesUpdated Aug 29, 2026

Tulane University is spearheading a $500 million effort to convert the shuttered Charity Hospital, damaged in Katrina's 2005 floods, into a downtown biomedical research hub with labs, startups, and classrooms, with construction aimed to begin in fall 2026 and the project completed by 2029. The revival aims to transform a landmark that symbolized the city’s commitment to community healthcare into a modern center for medical research and public health; Tulane President Michael Fitts described it as a continuation of that commitment. Local leaders and residents have embraced the plan as a crucial step in moving past Katrina’s devastation, even as other nearby facilities like Memorial (now Ochsner Baptist) and the Lindy Boggs Medical Center faced closures and demolition. The project highlights broader efforts to reimagine New Orleans’ healthcare landscape and rebuild institutional capacity after the storm, including the risk and toll Katrina imposed, with nearly 1,400 lives lost and billions in damage. Those involved frame the hospital’s transformation as a historically significant, forward-looking investment in community health and biomedical innovation. The initiative signals a long-term revival of Charity Hospital’s legacy by marrying history with modern research infrastructure.

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Photo: VIIRS Imagery from NOAA’s NOAA-20 Satellite / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

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Last updatedAug 29, 2026

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Broke uat.apnews.com · Aug 28, 4:05 AMCenter within the hourLeft +17hRight +32h6 sources +32h on

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Left· 1 source

“Infamous New Orleans hospital shuttered after Hurricane Katrina to be rebuilt”

The Independent UK · Aug 28, 2026

Center· 1 source

“Beloved New Orleans hospital, wracked by floods and grief in Hurricane Katrina, to get a makeover”

WPGL - Miami-Fort Lauderdale · Aug 28, 2026

Right· 1 source

“Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans’ Charity Hospital to close in 2005; 21 years later, the million-sq-ft building is being transformed into a $500 million medical research hub”

The Times of India · Aug 29, 2026

Coverage

The Independent UKLean LeftInfamous New Orleans hospital shuttered after Hurricane Katrina to be rebuilt

WPGL - Miami-Fort LauderdaleCenterBeloved New Orleans hospital, wracked by floods and grief in Hurricane Katrina, to get a makeover

The Times of IndiaLean RightHurricane Katrina forced New Orleans’ Charity Hospital to close in 2005; 21 years later, the million-sq-ft building is being transformed into a $500 million medical research hub

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