by Michael Luke / Eyewitness News, wwltv.com
Posted on April 16, 2010 at 7:21 PM

NEW ORLEANS – Children’s Hospital had renewed talks to purchase or lease property from their shuttered neighbor, New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, according to Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Cathleen Randon.

“Children’s Hospital has previously explored the possibility of acquiring the former NOAH property and is encouraged by these recent talks,” said Randon in an e-mail.

The geographically hamstrung Uptown hospital, with NOAH on side and Audubon Park on the other, has been looking for ways to expand its campus.

Pleased with the direction of the talks, Randon said the hospital would cease trying to buy land near Audubon Park for expansion – a plan that was met with a great deal of opposition from nearby residents.

“For the past several months Children’s has been in negotiations with the Audubon Commission to acquire use of land between the hospital and Audubon Park for expansion purposes. In light of these recent discussions with LSU, efforts to acquire use of the land between the hospital and the park have been discontinued.”

This would not be the the first time Children’s Hospital used the facility, as employees worked at and provided services for part of the NOAH campus before Hurricane Katrina.

NOAH was closed in 2009 after Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed funding for the hospital, electing instead to send the 35 beds to Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville.