The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) on Friday released a master plan to revitalize the historic General Hospital Campus into a “Healthy Village” focused on wellness, housing, economic opportunity, and community services.
The revitalization would reimagine the 30.8-acre campus in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, including the 1.2 million-square-foot, 19-story building, which opened in 1934 but was severely damaged in the 1993 earthquake.
A statement by LA County noted that as infrastructure aged and new hospital safety regulations took effect, the county constructed the LA General Medical Center adjacent to the historic structure. Medical services were transferred there in 2008, leaving much of the original hospital vacant, LA County stated.
In 2018, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis introduced a motion directing a feasibility study for the adaptive reuse of the building. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The revitalization would reimagine the 30.8-acre campus in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, including the 1.2 million-square-foot, 19-story building, which opened in 1934 but was severely damaged in the 1993 earthquake. (Los Angeles County General Hospital Campus Master Plan)
Solis said the hospital served thousands of Los Angeles County residents for decades who could not afford quality care and expressed confidence that the master plan will bring hope and opportunity to families.
“This Master Plan is rooted in years of collaboration and reflects the voices of residents, community partners, and stakeholders who helped shape a ‘Healthy Village’ vision for the future of this historic campus. As we move forward, we have an opportunity to breathe new life into this landmark by creating a community-centered campus that expands access to housing, wellness, economic opportunity, and open space while honoring the legacy of a place that has cared for generations of Angelenos.”
In January 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Economic Opportunity to advance the campus vision through a public-private partnership with Centennial Partners, a joint venture between Primestor Development and Bayspring Real Estate Partners.
“As this project is implemented over the coming decade, we know community needs and the realities of our world will change. Our responsibility is to remain present with those changes—continuing to listen, adapt, and create a campus that serves both those who rely on it today and the generations,” said Giovanna Araujo, project director for Centennial Partners (Primestor).
Hundreds of meetings with community organizations, stakeholders, the Wellness Center, the LAC+USC Medical Foundation, and area residents were part of the planning process to develop a framework responsive to evolving market conditions, community priorities, and public needs during implementation.
The draft master plan calls for affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing, along with expanded wellness and supportive services, community-oriented retail and neighborhood amenities, public plazas and open space, improved pedestrian and transit connectivity, workforce training and job opportunities, preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic General Hospital building, and sustainable, resilient infrastructure improvements.
Development is expected to occur in phases to allow projects to advance incrementally while preserving continuity of care at LA General Medical Center, which serves more than 1 million patients annually, and maintaining daily operations for other county agencies.
As of today, the lower floors of the building currently house ancillary support services for the medical center, county departments, and community-based organizations, including The Wellness Center.
The county continues to work on a $120 million campus stabilization project focused on seismic upgrades, infrastructure improvements, and preservation work needed to prepare the historic building for redevelopment.
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