Engaging community voices and perspectives in projects
located on and around the LA General Medical Center campus
LAC+USC Medical Center
General Hospital & West Campus
Feasibility Study
“When I look at this iconic structure, I see much more than an architectural gem: I envision a thriving community facility proactively helping people suffering from homelessness and other disadvantages get back on their feet.”
– Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District, Los Angeles County
After three years of community engagement and technical analysis, the Final Feasibility Study is available!!
The LAC+USC Medical Center General Hospital and
West Campus Feasibility Study report was submitted
to the Board of Supervisors on April 29, 2022.
Click here to download your copy:
Thank you to everyone who attended our June 2nd Community Meeting.
If you missed it, please visit our resource library to watch the recording of the meeting and view copies of the meeting materials.
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Los Angeles General Medical Center and West Campus!
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History
Since opening its doors in 1933, the historic Los Angeles County General Hospital served as a beacon of hope, healing and caring for millions of Angelinos. For decades, the General Hospital provided much needed health care services for all County residents and served as a major training site for generations of physicians and healthcare professionals.
The General Hospital is a spectacular 1.2 million square foot, 19-story, historic Art-Deco building that sits atop the largest County health campus, surrounded by some of Los Angeles County’s traditionally underserved communities in Boyle Heights, Lincoln Park, East L.A. and El Sereno. After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the County committed to constructing a replacement medical center which opened in 2008. Since then, the General Hospital has become largely vacant.
In November 2018, Supervisor Hilda L. Solis authored a board motion to initiate a feasibility study to analyze the technical, economic, and community outcomes that could come as a result of repurposing the County's historic General Hospital building.
Consistent with the General Hospital’s emblematic mission, vision, and history to serve the most vulnerable residents of our region, and advance the County’s overall mission to address our current housing crisis needs and provide exceptional health services, the study was directed to explore ways in which the restoration and re-use of General Hospital might:
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Bring an iconic County asset back to life.
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Address the County’s tremendous need for homeless, low income, and high-need population residential options, and specifically in the area surrounding the LAC+USC Medical Campus.
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Complement the LAC+USC Foundation’s Wellness Center that provides wrap-around and community services and the future Restorative Care Village.
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Deliver mission-aligned re-use as a housing and mixed-use facility.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Solis’ motion which directed the County CEO to lead a detailed General Hospital Re-use Feasibility Study and strategic plan process with outside experts who possess specialization in historic adaptive reuse, economic development and affordable housing financing, large scale building engineering and seismic retrofits, environmental planning, and community engagement. To advance this process, the CEO is consulting and collaborating with multiple County Departments, the Health Innovation Community Partnership, and other stakeholders to implement a robust community engagement process.
To make a clear and informed choice on how to proceed with a mission-aligned reuse of the General Hospital and West Campus as housing and mixed-use space, a significant amount of technical analysis and due diligence was completed. Additionally, research was being conducted to identify and leverage possible creative financing mechanisms which may have accelerate the successful reuse of the General Hospital and West Campus. This included various tax credit programs, Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts, other federal and state grant monies, and pursuing Public Private Partnerships. These were all possible solutions to allow this historic icon to once again serve as a beacon of hope, and help the surrounding communities and our great LA Region.
Through a thoughtful well executed process, this incredible resource, which today lies idle and in significant disrepair, will be transformed into a marquee facility.
Vision for a Healthy Village
The Study helped to achieve Supervisor Hilda L. Solis’ Healthy Village vision for Los Angeles’ eastside. A Healthy Village supported:
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A Whole Person Care concept to meet individuals’ needs
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A healthy and economically resilient community
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Help for our most vulnerable citizens, including recuperative care and wraparound services that empower residents
Given the County’s tremendous need for homeless, low income, and high-need population residential options, and specifically in the area surrounding the LAC+USC Medical Campus, the General Hospital could contribute significantly to addressing that need by providing a number of residential units and related services for future residents and the broader County community. This reuse would complement the LAC+USC Foundation’s Wellness Center that occupies the General Hospital’s ground floor and provides both wrap-around and community services to the LAC+USC Medical Campus visitors. Additionally, the potential reuse of the General Hospital can leverage the Restorative Care Village’s vision to provide holistic care to our residents.
