By Eileen Fleming
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wwno/local-wwno-963979.mp3
New Orleans, La. – Mayor Landrieu says the new Louisiana State University Medical Center is vital to the city's future as a leader in research and health care.
" This particular project will dwarf the consequences of both the Superdome and Convention Center and has the potential of transforming the city of New Orleans from not only being a great city but being in a world-class city."
Critics have battled the 1point-2 Billion-dollar companion facility to the Veterans Administration hospital. They've objected to gutting the Lower Mid-City neighborhood to make way for the hospital complex, instead favoring a rehab of Charity Hospital - closed since Hurricane Katrina. U-S Senator David Vitter is also mounting objections to the new medical center with officials in Washington.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming