NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Neighbors in Old Jefferson, near Ochsner’s main campus, are expressing concern about plans to build a new children’s hospital in their community.

Many residents, including Hilton “Buster” Bond, whose family has lived in the area since the 1950s, are concerned about the potential impacts on their homes, particularly with regard to drainage.

“Are you going to build above street level? So if my house floods, your water will wash into my yard and make the flooding worse? You haven’t responded to my email,” Buster said, highlighting the uncertainty many feel about the project.

Debbie Wright, vice president of the Old Jefferson Community Association, expressed similar concerns.

While she recognizes the importance of the children’s hospital, she believes the proposed location near the main campus is problematic. “Nobody is against a children’s hospital. It is needed. It provides excellent care. However, there is a recurring flooding in this area,” she noted.

Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano has worked with Ochsner to develop a drainage plan to address those concerns, but residents are also concerned about the potential loss of the area’s large oak trees, some of which are believed to have been standing since the Civil War.

“Are they promising to save some of these oaks, or are they just going to cut them down in a few years when they decide to do something else?” asked Buster.

Another problem for residents is the increased traffic and parking congestion caused by hospital employees parking in their streets to be closer to their workplace, often resulting in blocked driveways and crowded streets.

Ochsner’s website states that the new five-story hospital will also have an attached parking garage, but Wright remains concerned, pointing out that a recent traffic study showed that an additional thousand cars will drive into the area to provide patient care.

“I feel like a large children’s hospital in addition to the hospital that is there now would overwhelm this area,” she said.

To address these concerns, a town hall discussion is planned for Wednesday, September 4. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Ochsner’s main campus, in Monroe Hall on the first floor.

Ultimately, what neighbors want most is open communication with hospital management to find solutions that address everyone’s concerns. Ochsner detailed that the new children’s hospital will include a pediatric-only emergency room, intensive care beds and operating rooms separate from those for adult patients.

The opening of the facility is planned for the end of 2027.

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