NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans City Council’s Community Development Committee recommended approval on July 7 of a lease agreement supporting the long-planned redevelopment of the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center site, clearing the way for construction of a 4 million-gallon underground stormwater retention facility designed to reduce flooding while preparing the property for future mixed-use development.
The full City Council is expected to consider the lease agreement at a future meeting.
The proposed lease would allow the City of New Orleans to lease the land beneath the former hospital property at 301 N. Norman C. Francis Parkway from Mercy Partners LLC, the entity associated with the redevelopment project, to construct an underground stormwater retention structure connected to the city’s existing drainage system. The system would be operated and maintained by the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans.
Officials said the former hospital’s existing basement will be converted into the underground stormwater retention system, allowing it to store up to 4 million gallons of stormwater before gradually draining into the city’s drainage network.
Demolition of the former hospital remains on schedule to begin this month, according to city officials. The project will begin with approximately two months of asbestos remediation before structural demolition begins. Officials said the overall demolition process is expected to take six to eight months.
During the committee meeting, members questioned project costs and accountability. City officials said the $16 million project includes demolition of the hospital and construction of the stormwater retention facility, with the City of New Orleans contributing up to $11.5 million through a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.perty.
The stormwater project is intended to support the property’s redevelopment into a mixed-use project that could include apartments, office space and retail following completion of the demolition and infrastructure work. According to the committee summary, the lease would not require any additional rent because the city previously approved funding for the project through a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.
