Los Angeles County is undertaking an extensive redevelopment project on its Eastside campus, aiming to transform the area into a mixed-use health and housing hub that integrates historic and modern elements. The initiative, propelled by a $120 million investment from local, state, and federal sources, involves major construction work including the removal of existing library buildings and significant terrain reshaping to address a 40-foot elevation difference between different parts of the site.
The project’s roots trace back to 2018 when County Supervisor Hilda Solis initiated a feasibility study for repurposing a Depression-era hospital building as housing and creating a cohesive mixed-use environment centered around health services. After a seven-year planning process, the Board of Supervisors appointed Centennial Partners—a collaboration of Primestor Development and Bayspring Real Estate Partners—as the master developer in December 2023.
Centennial Partners laid out a conceptual plan last July for a 41.9-acre neighborhood combining affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing with retail spaces, health services, open areas, and transit connections. Notably, two parcels were withheld for potential future expansion by the medical center. The latest master plan incorporates detailed historical research, environmental considerations, and design principles, emphasizing “common ground” to ensure all ground-level spaces serve commercial or public purposes.
Project director Giovanna Araujo explained that buildings will feature accessible first floors hosting community-serving programs such as retail, clinics, or public lobbies. To maintain pedestrian-friendly interiors, parking facilities will be strategically placed along perimeter streets rather than within the internal open spaces. The development’s centerpiece is a triangular network of walkways linking a new commercial district, the restored historic hospital on the east, and the existing L.A. County General Medical Center to the south. These paths will incorporate plazas, small parks, and fitness stations.
Following an expected five-year timeline to complete the required seismic retrofitting, developers will be sought to convert the historic hospital’s upper floors into residential units. The extensive ground floor—stretching the equivalent of over one and a half football fields—will be dedicated to community-oriented elements including a food hall showcasing local cuisines, an outdoor café, and small-scale neighborhood shops. The plan also reserves space for community meeting rooms to host a variety of events, from neighborhood councils to public lectures. Preservation efforts will retain the hospital’s grand granite foyer adorned with murals and statues, keeping it accessible to the public.
While flexible regarding the density and balance of housing versus office space in the commercial areas, the plan sets a baseline that 25% of new development will be residential, with at least a quarter of those units designated as affordable housing. To address the substantial elevation changes, the county will raise lower sections by about 20 feet, potentially using construction debris and earth fill or elevated parking structures to level the terrain.
The revitalized Eastside campus will also connect physically and functionally with the larger adjacent medical complex located near the 5 and 10 freeway interchange. This complex includes the Restorative Care Village, which houses emergency mental health facilities, recuperative centers for homeless patients, and soon-to-open units for substance use withdrawal and long-term psychiatric care.
With the master plan established, Centennial Partners is entering a critical phase focused on securing financing. The team has applied to list the hospital on the National Register of Historic Places for the first time to unlock historic tax credits that could support its conversion. County officials are exploring the creation of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District to fund public infrastructure improvements through future tax increments. Private investment will be essential to completing the project, supplemented by potential philanthropic contributions.
Experts like David Garcia, deputy director of policy at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, note that the building’s design—with wings providing natural light to all rooms—offers practical benefits for housing conversion, though extensive retrofitting and infrastructure upgrades will prolong the development timeline. Garcia acknowledged the complexity of the undertaking but emphasized its potential to create a uniquely integrated community space.
Primestor President Leandro Tyberg welcomed interest from all funding sources, underscoring the collaborative effort needed to realize the vision for the Eastside campus.