GNO, Inc. Sunday Night Highlight – Tulane Winning On- and Off- the Field

Tulane University is preparing to deliver one of the most ambitious downtown investments New Orleans has seen in generations, anchored by the redevelopment of the former Charity Hospital building and a broader vision to grow research, talent, and economic activity at the heart of the city.

Tulane President Michael Fitts frames the effort as more than a university expansion. He describes it as a turning point for New Orleans itself, positioning downtown as a hub for research, innovation, and job creation. “With Tulane earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, the university is showing momentum on the field and in the kind of long-term investments that strengthen the city off it.”

Tulane already has a significant downtown footprint, with 17 buildings totaling roughly three million square feet. Today, about 2,700 employees work downtown for the university, and more than 2,600 students attend classes there. Over the next eight years, Tulane expects to add approximately 2,500 additional employees downtown and grow its annual research expenditures to nearly $400 million.

The redevelopment of the historic Charity Hospital building is central to that plan. Tulane will occupy more than half of the one-million-square-foot structure, with the remaining space slated for residential and commercial uses. The project is designed not only to modernize a landmark building, but also to help create a dense, connected district where research, education, housing, and startups coexist.

Construction and streetscape improvements are already underway, and Tulane’s downtown district is being shaped alongside major anchors, including University Medical Center, the Superdome, and the French Quarter. Fitts described the effort as a long-term commitment to New Orleans, one that uses research, education, and innovation to drive growth.

University-led redevelopment has reshaped downtowns in cities across the country, like the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Arizona State University in Phoenix.

In other groundbreaking news, Tulane is now a “football school.”  Next weekend, Tulane will face Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, the first appearance for the Green Wave.

You can learn more about Tulane’s growth plan here.

You can read more about Tulane football here.