Quote:
Originally Posted by sguil1
New VA should break ground sooner than later...
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stor....5dffc953.html
Great news in my opinion! The new VA hospital deal has mostly pro's and very few con's unlike the new Charity which has plenty of both. This will be a large regional hospital that will create 1000+ new jobs not to mention great health care to our vets. It is federally funded and the money is already there. The site in mid-city is near I-10 and almost completely non-residential. The old building has no historic or sentimental value.
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Wait.. are we talking about the same VA? The VA will be between Canal, Tulane, Galvez, and Rocheblave - which is a dense residential neighborhood. The Charity site's been mostly abandoned, but the VA site is still occupied! I've been there! It also includes historic landmarks like the Dixie Brewery.
The
concept of a new VA hospital is great, and so are the economic benefits. But they don't outweigh the need to preserve intact neighborhoods and community landmarks.
No city in the country is seriously considering the wholesale eradication of neighborhoods for big construction. That was the failure of 1960s planning, and it is a big reason why the projects like Iberville and Magnolia failed - they were plopped down with no regard for the residents, who were either forced out, or just stopped caring.
It's also symptomatic of the utter disregard that city government has for residents, many of whom have already left and aren't coming back. These people are tired of being treated like crap, and government can no longer rely on New Orleans history and tradition to keep people here. I'd take a decent home in a successful, vibrant city over Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest any day, if that choice were presented to me.