I didn't see the report, Is it just Charity that will cost over a billion, or the whole complex, including the new V.A. hospital, and all surrounding buildings? A billion for one hospital seems pretty high, that's more than the dome cost huh?
Yet LSU and the VA remain apart in one critical respect. Congress has fully financed the new veterans hospital, but LSU is still scrambling to piece together nearly a billion dollars for its half of the project. That financing gap means the VA portion could proceed faster.
I think what the article is trying to say is the cost is nearly a billion, LSU has raised about half of it, and is asking FEMA to basically pay the other half ($493mil).