By Chris Miller, Assistant Editor, Facility Market

The New Orleans Children Hospital’s $300 million expansion and redevelopment is coming to a close after over 1,300 days of construction at the campus, according to the New Orleans Advocate. The organization expects to open the facility in November.

The hospital will be an ultra-modern building mixed with historic buildings throughout the area. The original facility was capable of holding 229 beds and will not add more through the renovations. But it will be adding a 28-room cardiac intensive care unit, two operating rooms, 45 emergency rooms, 24 rooms in the new cancer center and updated equipment for MRIs, CT scans and infusions.

About 235,000 square feet have been added to the facility, while an additional 100,000 square feet were renovated. This number comprises nine historical buildings from the property's previous life as a U.S Marine Hospital in the 1930s. The hospital has invested millions into the redevelopment of the nine historic buildings. $6 million alone went to the Ronald Mcdonald House. The area's oldest residential building was constructed in the 1830s and will be turned into a coffee shop, while some of the other historic buildings will serve as provider offices.

Recently, construction workers wedged concrete pavers into a pathway outside the entryway that will be a new emergency department drop-off site. The steel and glass entryway is made to look maze-like to add some flair to the hospital.

The new emergency department is segmented into three pods — one for behavioral health, one for patients who need overnight care, and one for patients who don’t need intricate care. The waiting room features gel-filled, color-changing pods and circular nooks in the wall for children to busy themselves with. 

The expansion has dealt with several issues throughout the construction process. The pandemic redistributed staff and caused the total number of patients to vary. The area also experienced record rainfall this year which led to high water on the Mississippi, and this contributed to construction delays. The original opening date was delayed by roughly seven months.