Board of Supervisors Approve Ground Lease to Charles R. Drew University Providing a Home for the Historic Launch its Independent Four-Year Medical Education

LOS ANGELES, Calif. —  Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, with the unanimous support of the Board of Supervisors, voted to approve a 60-year ground lease agreement that will be the future site of a 46,650 square foot state-of-the-art home for Charles R. Drew University’s (CDU) four-year medical education program. This agreement supports the infrastructure needs to help launch CDU’s medical program, allowing the university to independently train and educate future physicians and medical students for the first time in the 56-year history of the school.

“I am proud to support the approval of the County’s lease agreement with CDU, an educational asset in the Second Supervisorial District that has created a pipeline of medical leaders of color in LA County and throughout the U.S.” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “With this lease, the only Historically Black College or University in California is expanding its footprint and impact in South LA as it reaches a new milestone with the launch of its medical education program.” 

The ground lease agreement of parcel located at 1743 120^th Street, across from Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center is adjacent to the CDU campus and will be the site for its Health Professions Education Building. Since 1979, CDU has shared a longstanding relationship with the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles via the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program. This partnership has resulted in over 1,000 trained medical student graduates from CDU. Today’s Board vote supports CDU’s efforts to educate and train more Black students and students of color to become medical professionals by ensuring physical space for its medical education program launching Fall 2023.

“It’s great to have had the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors’ support today for this next step towards the construction of a Health Professions Education Building.  This is a project that will help CDU achieve its vision of creating a world without health disparities by providing room for our new and expanding programs on our South Los Angeles campus.  This new state of the art facility will enhance our ability to train and cultivate the next generation of diverse health professional leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations across Los Angeles and beyond.” CDU President and CEO, Dr. David Carlisle

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