At the beginning of the year the state said it was starting the process of redeveloping Charity Hospital from scratch, stalling the long-stalled redevelopment even further. But a search is underway to find a consultant who will guide the redevelopment process—but work on the hospital won't begin for another year, at least.
The state is hiring a consultant to be "able to provide expertise on what kinds of uses might work in the building and to reach out to the relatively small pool of firms capable of taking on a project that size."
Because of the building's size, the state envisions a mixed-use development.
A spokesman for the state's Division of Administration says part of the reason behind scrapping the most recent round of bids is to "cast a wider net" for a potential developer.
The state says it wants to move quickly in getting the building back in commerce, but estimates that it will be 18 months before any constructions begins on the property that has remained pretty much untouched since Hurricane Katrina.
• State expected to seek consultant soon to guide redevelopment of shuttered Charity Hospital [The Advocate]
• The State is Scrapping Charity Hospital Proposals, Starting From Scratch [Curbed NOLA]