Institutional Master Plan
June 23, 2023
Loyola University is planning to start demolition of the existing Mercy Hall building in early July. Construction of a new residence hall on the site will commence immediately following the demolition.
Loyola and its selected contractor are committed to ensuring the demolition and construction activities are performed in such a manner as to not impose any damage to nearby structures, and that disruptions to the neighborhood will be as minimal as possible. Here are some of the steps we are taking:
- Neighbors in the immediate vicinity received letters inviting them to allow our photo team to document their property in advance of the demolition/construction.
- Loyola will monitor vibrations during demolition and pile driving, checked against a baseline of vibration from current traffic for buses, garbage trucks, etc.
- There are not significant amounts of lead in Mercy Hall to require abatement, but the building will undergo asbestos abatement prior to the demolition.
- There will likely be occasional street closures during this work but exact dates and times are to be determined. We will provide advance notice of these closures to the best of our abilities.
If you live or travel regularly to the neighborhood, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your family. We are thrilled to commence this important project and greatly respect and appreciate you as our neighbors. If you have any questions about documenting your property, please contact David Soule of Multivista at 504-264-3465. You may also reach out to Jordan Gargas at Dupont颅 LeCorgne Construction Consultants, the university's project management firm for the project. Jordan can be reached at 504-484-9448.
December 16, 2022
The City of New Orleans has approved Loyola University鈥檚 amended Institutional Master Plan (IMP). Eskew Dumez Ripple will now begin to design the new residence hall, and construction is expected to begin in 2024.
We will continue to update you as we reach different milestones in the project.
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October 26, 2022
On Thursday, October 20, Chief Operating Officer Carol Markowitz and Jack Sawyer, an architect from Eskew Dumez Ripple, presented the proposed amendments to Loyola鈥檚 Institutional Master Plan.
Key Highlights
- Loyola has an Institutional Master Plan on file with the city from 2016.
- The amendment Loyola is filing applies solely to the main campus, not the Broadway campus.
- Future developments included in this new update are:
- A new student residence hall (The 2016 filing also includes a proposed residence hall, but given the demand for on-campus housing, the scope of this project has changed to allow for a larger facility.)
- The previously approved chapel that is currently under construction (Now showing a smaller, round building, which differs from the rectangular building that was originally anticipated.)
- Future changes to Stallings Hall (No change from 2016 filing.)
- Future changes to the Danna Student Center (No change from 2016 filing.)
- A renovation to the front of the Communications & Music Complex (No change from 2016 filing.)
- Most of the above projects do not have firm timelines. Loyola is just preserving our rights to do these projects by including them in the Institutional Master Plan.
- All of the proposed projects are allowed by right and we are not asking for any special approvals or waivers.
Definition of an Institutional Master Plan
An Institutional Master Plan (IMP) is a regulatory document that describes the existing and future development on property owned by the institution and within the boundaries identified in the adopted Future Land Use Plan of the City鈥檚 Master Plan. The IMP also conveys compliance with landscape, stormwater, and signage requirements along campus boundaries in addition to internal traffic, wayfinding, and parking analysis.
Proposed New Residence Hall
The proposed new residence hall reflects the most substantive change in our amendments and will be an outward-facing building at the corner of Freret and Calhoun streets. A residence hall in this area is in our current IMP filed in 2016, but is being expanded in size and shape to accommodate the unmet demand for on-campus student housing.
As a key element of the university鈥檚 strategic plan, this new housing will be designed to a scale that fits existing campus structures, along with some similar design elements and proportions. The upper two floors of the building will be set back from the street in accordance with zoning regulations.
Our current plans call for an approximately 600-bed facility. And the schedule calls for a year of design, in 2023 with construction ideally starting in early 2024 for a Fall 2025 opening
There is an existing building in the location of the proposed new residence hall - Mercy Hall, a former high school. High school buildings are very difficult to re-use and it鈥檚 hard to retrofit them for other purposes. In our planning for the new dormitory we looked at the possibility of saving this building somehow, but we determined that it鈥檚 not technically feasible.
Questions/Concerns Raised by Neighborhood Attendees
The first question was related to students parking cars in the neighborhood. Loyola does have ample parking on its campus, but an alumnus in attendance later spoke up to note that not all students can afford parking permits. COO Markowitz is taking this information to university leadership to consider adjusting the pricing structure for parking permits in the future.
While not part of the official program for the evening, a question arose about the Broadway campus. COO Markowitz noted that she is currently working on some financing that would allow Loyola to renovate St. Mary鈥檚 Hall (at Broadway and Dominican). This renovation would not require an amendment to the IMP, but any more significant changes to the Broadway campus would need a new amendment to our master plan.
Another audience member raised the question of any additional plans beyond the IMP to address neighborhood housing issues such as the 鈥渄oubles to dorms鈥 problem. COO Markowitz noted that Loyola is looking at investing a considerable amount of capital into renovating and improving our existing portfolio of residence halls. Those facilities already run at a high capacity, but to the extent that renovations will make them even more attractive options, that may reduce students鈥 demand for off-campus housing.
September 29, 2022
Long a centerpiece of the higher education community in New Orleans, Loyola University is continually looking to modernize and improve its campuses in a way that is not only beneficial to the university community but the surrounding neighborhoods and city overall.
In fall 2022 Loyola initiated the process of updating its Institutional Master Plan (IMP). As part of city-wide planning efforts in New Orleans, universities must complete an IMP, which is a document reviewed and approved by the City of New Orleans. IMPs assist both city officials and university administrators with short, medium, and long-term planning for all campus property. The IMP is a living planning document that includes projects that are ready to begin, as well as concepts for projects that are potential future developments. Loyola already has an approved IMP on file with the city and we are now proposing updates. Future developments that will be included in this IMP update are: A new student residence hall on the main campus, replacement of Stallings Hall, future changes to the Danna Center, a renovation to the front of the Communications & Music Complex, and the previously approved new chapel for the campus that is currently under construction.
All of Loyola鈥檚 properties, as outlined above, are zoned EC Educational Campus District. This zoning district is intended for large university campus developments. Notably, all the improvements proposed above are fully compliant with the EC Educational Campus District with regard to use, building heights, setbacks, and other zoning requirements. Read more about the . Information about IMPs is also found in this Section.
Loyola will hold meetings for our constituents regarding these projects:
- Neighbors: 5:30 p.m., October 20, 2022, in Roussel Hall in the Communications & Music Complex on the main campus (at the corner of St. Charles Ave. and Calhoun St.) Free parking is available in the horseshoe lot facing St. Charles and in the garage on West Road.
- Faculty and staff: 12:30 p.m., October 25, 2022, via Zoom
- Students: 12:30 p.m., October 27, via Zoom