Chair Mitchell’s Statement on the Board’s Approval of a Landmark $1.6 Billion for the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Replacement Program

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $1.695 billion for the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Replacement Program. This unprecedented investment will bring state-of-the-art healthcare services to the 72-acre medical campus, that is one of only five level one trauma centers in the County. It will also ensure Harbor-UCLA Medical Center complies with Senate Bill 953 which requires all hospitals be structurally resilient in the event of a major earthquake.

Chair Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement on the Board’s approval of the project that is expected to provide over 800 local jobs throughout its five-year construction phase:

This is a vision for the future of healthcare in LA County that we are now closer to making a reality. $1.695 billion is an investment in healthcare centered in humanity, sustainability, and exceptional care. The upgrades to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center will develop a modern medical campus that serves the totality of our resident’s healthcare needs while protecting the surrounding environment it is built in.

The unincorporated Second Supervisorial District area of West Carson is proud to be the home of this project which is the largest capital project to date for the County. The new buildings on the campus are set to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development Gold Certification and be in place ahead of the 2028 Olympic games. My office will be working closely with the Department of Public Works and Hensel Phelps – the lead construction company for this project – in helping to ensure we meet our goal of 50% local hires from surrounding communities which also includes Inglewood, San Pedro, and Watts.

Many of my constituents from communities of color that live in the surrounding areas face higher rates of health disparities and have relied on Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for decades for its patient-centered care. They along with the 3 million Angelenos the medical center reaches, will benefit greatly from the new 468,000 square-foot inpatient building that will hold 346 beds, a new emergency department and rooftop helicopter landing pad. These a just a fraction of the significant infrastructure changes that will happen at the medical campus over the next five years.

After two years of having our healthcare infrastructure pushed to its limits, it gives me hope to see us building facilities to better accommodate and serve both our healthcare workers and the communities they care for daily. I am thrilled for the development of this project and the improved health outcomes it will help foster for generations to come.

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