Frequently Asked Questions

The proposed Healthy Living Campus project transforms our aging 11-acre medical campus (opened in 1960) in Redondo Beach into a modern intergenerational venue that will provide a blend of wellness, prevention and research for current and future generations.

In May 2017, BCHD began devising plans to update the campus, which stretches from Diamond Street to Beryl Street and Prospect Avenue to Flagler Lane. Since then, there have been four revisions based on input from more than 60 public meetings and more than 1,000 comments; from financial, seismic and architectural experts; and from public surveys, trade-off discussions and, ultimately, the Environmental Impact Report.  

In November 2021, the BCHD Board of Director approved the campus Master Plan, which includes:

• A Youth Wellness Center – allcove Beach Cities – for ages 12-25 to address mental health, substance use and life skills

• Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE), including memory care

• Bike and pedestrian paths

• A new energy-efficient, seismically compliant medical office building

• Building heights limited to 83 feet and under (the tallest building on the current campus is 76 feet)

Safety is BCHD’s primary concern, and since the cost of retrofitting the former hospital building is not financially feasible for the District, BCHD plans to demolish the building in 2027.

In 2018, Youssef & Associates concluded that demolition of the 514 N. Prospect Avenue building is prudent due to its vulnerability and poor performance of buildings that used non-ductile concrete construction in past earthquakes. While not required, seismic updates are recommended. The Redondo Beach General Plan suggests buildings with non-ductile concrete construction be “upgraded, relocated, or phased out.” The building also faces escalating maintenance costs, diminishing revenue used to fund programs and services.

As of now, seismic updates are not required, but are a prudent move given the performance of non-ductile concrete buildings in recent earthquakes. A seismic report of the building can be found here: Nabih Youssef Seismic Evaluation

The Redondo Beach General Plan suggests non-ductile concrete frame buildings, such as 514 Prospect, should ultimately be “upgraded, relocated or phased out.”

Related to this, on February 28, 2023, Los Angeles County supervisors took the first step toward approving mandatory earthquake retrofitting on certain older concrete buildings that include a defect discovered in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake that can lead to a catastrophic collapse. The measure targets “non-ductile” concrete buildings owned by the county and those located in unincorporated areas and calls upon officials to prepare new rules for such a mandate. The city of Los Angeles approved a similar retrofit requirement in 2015.

In Southern California, earthquakes are a fact of life – we must be prepared. Seismic experts determined the 65-year-old hospital building (514 N. Prospect Ave.) on the campus has seismic and structural issues common with structures built in the 1950s and ’60s. While a seismic upgrade is not required by law at this time, the BCHD Board of Directors opted to take a proactive approach to address these seismic issues in consideration of the building’s residents, employees and visitors.

Yes. As outlined in Section 32121(j) of the California Health and Safety Code, healthcare districts are empowered under state law to establish, maintain and operate healthcare facilities, including retirement programs, services and facilities. A conditional use permit already exists, allowing Silverado Memory Care to operate on the BCHD Campus, and all elements of the Healthy Living Campus will comply with local zoning regulations.

Yes. On August 8, 2022, in a special meeting, the BCHD Board voted 5-0 to approve the selection of a developer (PMB), operator (Watermark) and design/build team (Callison RTKL) for the proposed Healthy Living Campus. 

Following a lengthy due diligence period, PMB has opted not to proceed with the project. BCHD is now (May 2025) planning to open a new Request for Proposal (RFP) process to receive new ideas and strategies to implement health-related elements as part of the Healthy Living Campus. Potential components include Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, Medical Office Space, and more.

On the Healthy Living Campus, RCFE could consist of memory care and assisted living units.

Memory care currently exists on the BCHD campus, with Silverado operating 60 units (120 beds) of specialized care for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Assisted Living, designed to be “home-like” with private or semi-private apartment-style rooms, provides a continuum of long-term care services, including housing, personal care services and health care for individuals who need assistance with normal daily activities (bathing, meals, etc.). Assisted living residents often receive help with meal preparation, laundry and medication management, and, in general, the care provided is at a lower acuity and residents have a higher level of independence than the patients in skilled nursing facilities.

RCFE is a critical need considering 61 million Baby Boomers (born from 1946 – 1964) will be at least 66 years old by 2030. According to the peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs, one of the most important public health discoveries in recent years is the degree to which one’s physical environment (home) influences health status and premature mortality. This is especially true for the more vulnerable senior population.

The main campus is zoned P-CF (Community Facility) and the vacant lot located on Flagler Lane is zoned C-2 (Commercial).

A conditional use permit (CUP) is already in place for the 514 Prospect Ave. building, addressing the 120 residents living at Silverado Memory Care. The proposed project – like other improvements made in the past – would require a CUP under existing code. Also, a CUP does not require a vote of the people.

By certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the District’s Healthy Living Campus Master Plan, the BCHD Board of Directors verified the document complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The vote was taken Sept. 8, 2021 and the Board was 5-0 in favor of certification following two and a half hours of presentations, board deliberations and public comments. More than 300 public comments and responses were included in the 1,778-page Final EIR.

At its April 2025 meeting, the BCHD Board voted to direct staff to enter into a lease agreement that will move CHF to the 510 N. Prospect Avenue building, which has an expected lifespan through 2055.

This will keep the fitness center on the BCHD Campus, requires just one move of CHF (a prior plan included two moves), and keeps the facility near its current location, which has more than 3,000 members. The new CHF lease also makes the 510 N. Prospect Ave. building part of the Healthy Living Campus project, a positive outcome for neighbors on Diamond Street, who had concerns over the loss of green space and impending construction adjacent to their properties.

Plans call for the relocation to take place by early 2027.

The new lease will go until mid-2030, when BCHD takes ownership of the building.

A Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, is a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health care needs while aging gracefully in their home/community instead of moving into a nursing home or other care facility.

With PACE, a team of health care professionals works with patients and their families to assure properly coordinated care is provided. The healthcare teams typically work with a small number of older adults, so they really get to know their patients while providing medical care, medication management and adult health care services.

BCHD has partnered with allcove, a program developing an innovative network of integrated youth mental health centers across California. allcove centers are designed to destigmatize mental health issues for youth (ages 12 – 25) and provide a network of free/low-cost mental health centers. The Center offers mental and physical health resources, education, employment, peer and family support and substance use prevention programs.

Taking a regional approach, BCHD was able to apply and receive a $2 million grant from the State, bringing needed professional mental health resources to our youth. Our young people are facing a mental health crisis – 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness start by age 14; 79% do not have access to care; and in the Beach Cities, 18% of our Beach Cities 11th graders reported seriously considering attempting suicide within the past 12 months.

allcove Beach Cities operations are funded through the state’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, in partnership with Stanford University’s Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing, to provide more access to mental health services for young people ages 12-25. It is located in the heart of Redondo Beach, both in its temporary locations and in the future Healthy Living Campus.