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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday will consider moving forward with an effort to overhaul the historic General Hospital building in Boyle Heights, including using the mostly vacant structure to provide hundreds of units of affordable housing.
The motion authored by Supervisor Hilda Solis calls on various county departments to move forward with plans for structural upgrades to the building and identify nearly $195 million in county funding to advance the effort.
"Throughout my time as supervisor for the First District, I have introduced various motions in alignment with the community to move forward a collective vision for redeveloping the historic General Hospital," Solis said in a statement Monday. "Cementing our commitment for its restoration and reuse can aid in our response to the housing crisis our region is experiencing, as well as provide exceptional health services -- carrying on the hospital's over 150-year-old mission. I hope to make that dream a reality this upcoming Tuesday."
The 19-story, 1.2-million-square-foot building opened in 1934 and was considered at the time one of the most robust medical centers in the country. It is also an architectural gem, with its art-deco design and ornate ceiling artworks.
But the building suffered structural damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, prompting construction of what is now the Los Angeles County- USC Medical Center. Most of the General Hospital structure sits unused, expected for a Wellness Center clinic on the ground floor and some county office space.
In 2018, the board ordered a feasibility study to consider possible reuses of the historic structure. Among that study's findings was the possibility of creating hundreds of affordable-housing units, while expanding the Wellness Center's operations to provide more complete services for those who would occupy the building and others in the community.
The motion going before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday calls on the county CEO to report back in four months on a plan and financing options for structural upgrades needed in the structure, along with a possible timeline for the work. It also calls for a reallocation of millions of dollars in funds from various accounts to put toward the project, including $10 million from the county's Care First, Jails Last program and $50 million in state funding included in this year's California budget.