Fanfare, excitement and colorful balloons greeted Crenshaw residents on Tuesday, Oct. 20 when administrators from Kaiser Permanente held a groundbreaking ceremony to announce that a new medical facility is scheduled to be constructed near the corner of Marlton Avenue and Santa Rosalia Drive by the spring of 2017.
The 90-million dollar, state-of-the-art four-story medical office building, which will begin construction this month, will have 60 world class providers on staff to treat Baldwin Hills Crenshaw members.
Comprehensive services offered will include primary and specialty care services, including family/internal medicine, pediatrics, optometry ophthalmology, obstetrics/gynecology, health education classes, laboratory, pharmacy and mental health services.
The new facility will also feature technology advanced exam rooms, conference rooms, 2.5 acres of green space that will include a two-mile walk path, a farmer’s market, and an outdoor event space that will be available to local community groups.
The event kicked off with the soaring strains of “America the Beautiful” sung by the Crenshaw High School Elite Choir, followed by an invocation from Bishop Charles Blake of the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ.
Students at the Hillcrest Elementary School’s LA’s BEST program delivered a riveting dance routine to the delight of the audience.
Also attending the ceremony were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, California state Senator Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles City Council President Herbert Wesson, Assembly member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
“My father grew up in South Los Angeles,” said Garcetti. “I am so pleased to be here. For too long, this community has not gotten its fair share and I thank Kaiser Permanente for their dedication to South Los Angeles.”
Garcetti also thanked civic leaders for their efforts to bring forth the project and added that the new facility will serve as an anchor to attract new business to the area. “We’ll see new restaurants open,” he pointed out. “The Metro Line is a third of the way finished, which will bring more residents to the area. Am I optimistic about where South Los Angeles is going? I am. This is an amazing day to see.”
“Kaiser Permanente is proud to be part of the new economic development and revitalized energy in this area,” said Dr. Howard J. Fullman, area medical director for the West Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente Center. “This facility will bring great health care to this community. We are going to make sure that every person gets a preventative health test and access to great doctors and health plans. We will work to earn a place of respect in the chapters yet to be written for this beautiful community.”
Source: LA Sentinel
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