Baton Rouge, Louisiana – July 9, 2020,

New Era Companies today announced the commencement and redevelopment of Howell Medical Plaza in Baton Rouge, LA.  Joining New Era today in celebration was Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, East Baton Rouge Parish President-Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and executives from New Era Companies, Oceans Healthcare, and Ochsner Health.  Today’s celebration is to mark the commencement and redevelopment of Howell Medical Plaza and the investments being made to construct a 40-bed behavioral hospital and outpatient therapy center in the attached Medical Office Building for Oceans Healthcare.  In addition, New Era is announcing that Ochsner Health has entered into an agreement to lease space in the Medical Office Building to support primary care initiatives in the market.

New Era acquired Howell Medical Plaza, a Class A medical facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in January 2020 to redevelop the Property. The Howell Medical Plaza is located in North Baton Rouge within designated Opportunity and Enterprise Zones, and in the northwest quadrant of Howell Place, a 200-acre plot of land that is being developed into a mixed-use park located ten minutes north of downtown Baton Rouge.

The Baton Rouge property consists of a single-story hospital and an attached three-story medical office building. The Hospital will be master-leased, on a triple-net basis, to Oceans Healthcare in a long-term lease.  Oceans Healthcare is a nationally recognized provider of behavioral health services. Oceans will operate the Hospital as a 40-bed, inpatient behavioral hospital. The Hospital was previously a 10-bed surgical hospital with four operating rooms and an extensive retrofit to the Hospital will occur to convert it to an inpatient bed behavioral asset that is anticipated to open in Q1 2021.

Oceans Healthcare will also lease space in the MOB, on a long-term basis, for use as an outpatient therapy clinic.  In addition to Oceans Healthcare, New Era is also pleased to announce additional tenants in the Medical Office Building.  They include Louisiana Center for Eyes, Capital Area Human Services and Ochsner Health.  Today Ochsner Health has announced that they will support the Mayor’s initiatives as well by working with the community in development of a primary care clinic to be located at Howell Medical Plaza.

New Era in a public / private partnership, worked with the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Mayors Office, Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, and State of Louisiana to secure incentives that would support job creation and market-based growth for healthcare related workforce development.  Louisiana based Lemoine will provide general contracting services for the project and Guide Architects in Dallas will provide design for the hospital and MOB for Oceans Healthcare.

About New Era Companies

New Era is a vertically integrated healthcare real estate development and capital investment company. The firm has a strong track record of successful, high-quality medical developments and strategic acquisitions that enhance the communities they serve. Our multidisciplinary approach and seasoned management team deliver consistent results for our investors and clients across the country.

About Oceans Healthcare

As a nationally recognized provider of behavioral health services to older adults and seniors, we are committed to caring for this special population with dignity for patients and their families; with keen awareness of the importance of treating the whole person; with focus on progressive behavioral therapies; and with respect for our employees, physicians, healthcare providers and the communities we serve.  For more information about Oceans Healthcare, visit https://oceanshealthcare.com/

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health has been providing high-quality clinical and hospital patient care to Louisiana residents since 1942. Our healthcare family—today, comprising more than 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated  physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties—is driven by our commitment to our mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, and that passion is shared with every person who passes through our doors.  For more information about Ochsner Health, visit https://www.ochsner.org/about-ochsner