After receiving approval in April, demolition of homes began this week to pave the way for new medical centers in downtown New Orleans, and although the biomedical corridor is expected to generate thousands of jobs, it will also displace hundreds of residents and many businesses in a historic district.

Plans call for a university medical center, funded by the city, to replace the former Charity Hospital. In addition, new medical campuses will replace hospitals run by Louisiana State University and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which closed after Hurricane Katrina. The medical campuses, which will be located in a 27-square block part of New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood, will serve as a training ground for the area’s medical students.

Preservationists and residents, however, have expressed concern over the location of the centers. More than 200 homes and buildings in the historic Mid-City area will be removed to make way for the hospitals.

Last year, more than 1,000 people marched in a second line parade to protest the proposed medical corridor.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation also urged officials to build the medical corridor in other areas of the city, arguing that there are less expensive and destructive options than demolishing an entire neighborhood.

In 2008, the National Trust placed Mid-City on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Last May, the organization sued the VA and Federal Emergency Management Agency for not considering the full environmental consequences of selecting the site. However, a federal judge denied their motion for summary judgment.

On its Save Mid-City website, the National Trust explained its position: “Nearly all of these homes were damaged by the storm, and after years of toil to bring them back and revitalize the neighborhood in which they sit, it is difficult to believe that city leaders continue to believe it is in the best interests of the city to knock them all down and toss them in a landfill.”

However, Rob Goaz, chief of public affairs for Southeast Louisiana veteran’s health care system, said the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana chose the location for the new VA medical center after extensive environmental assessment. Goaz said the VA will repurpose the urban area and will take into consideration the architectural history of the buildings.

“We’re trying to restore the Pan American building to its original use as an educational training site,” said Goaz. “We’re trying to preserve that piece of the New Orleans skyline.”

Goaz also said the historic Dixie Brewery will be saved, as well as some homes that are indicative of classic New Orleans shotgun homes.

“They will be used for rehabilitation,” said Goaz.

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