Charity hospital's future discussed BATON ROUGE, LA. (AP) (wrkf) - A team of architects says it would be cheaper and faster to renovate the former Charity hospital in New Orleans than to build a new facility.

The hospital was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has been closed since. The state plans to build a replacement facility for the Art Deco landmark.

But a study by RMJM Hillier, a New York-based architecture firm, says the building can be renovated for $484 million and put back into use as a hospital. The firm estimated the cost of new construction at $620 million.

LSU officials, who run the state's public hospitals, and state construction analysts say they will review the report, which was released Wednesday. © Copyright 2009, wrkf