Tulane expands downtown footprint with major research hub
Tulane is bringing historic change to downtown New Orleans. This includes a major renovation of the Hutchinson Memorial Building, home to the School of Medicine since 1930. The $35 million project will transform the building's seventh floor into a modern, 50,000-square-foot research facility, accommodating 20 new research principal investigators and their teams. A smaller renovation on the fifth floor will also add space for additional investigators. The renovation, expected to be completed in 2025, is part of Tulane's ongoing expansion in downtown New Orleans and its growing commitment to world-leading, lifesaving research and discovery. Tulane is a powerful engine of economic growth — driving biotech investment, attracting top research talent and fueling a downtown innovation ecosystem. Its breakthroughs in medicine and science are not only transforming lives, but also contributing to the university’s $5.2 billion annual impact on Louisiana’s economy.
Wave City Market opens in Downtown Campus Center
President Michael A. Fitts cut the ribbon in March for Wave City Market — a lively new dining and gathering space located in Tulane’s Downtown Campus Center at 1415 Tulane Avenue, the former Tulane Medical Center. The opening marks a significant milestone in the historic transformation and expansion of Tulane’s downtown campus. Describing it as a hub where Tulane’s academic and medical communities can commune, collaborate and celebrate, Fitts said Wave City Market is poised to become a cornerstone of the university’s growing downtown footprint and the broader New Orleans community.
Tulane-LCMC partnership marks year of transformative health innovation
In early 2025, Tulane and LCMC Health marked the first anniversary of their landmark partnership — an ambitious effort to expand access to care, advance academic medicine and strengthen Louisiana’s healthcare future. One need only visit East Jefferson General Hospital to see the transformation underway. Tulane’s $216 million investment has delivered four new critical care units, eight new operating rooms, 15 clinics and three state-of-the-art interventional procedure rooms for minimally invasive, image-guided treatments. The hospital’s clinical workforce has grown dramatically, with 1,900 providers now on staff — a 300% increase — alongside more than 500 residents and fellows in training. With expanded clinical trial capacity and a growing emphasis on academic medicine, the partnership is not only improving care across the region — it is turning Tulane’s downtown and Metairie campuses into hubs for discovery, education and next-generation healthcare delivery.
