$1.8B Nine Story Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Revamp Tops Out

Nine months after our last update in West Carson, progress continues on the $1.8-billion overhaul of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

At the heart of the project—and the final structure currently under construction—is a nine-story, 555,000-square-foot hospital tower. This new building will house 347 patient beds, including a 44-bed intensive care unit, 200 medical-surgical beds, 20 neonatal intensive care unit beds, and 36 mental health beds. The steel-frame tower reached its full height at a topping-out ceremony on May 5.

“As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Harbor-UCLA is a lifeline for South LA residents, delivering high-quality and equitable care for some of our most vulnerable communities,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the L.A. County Department of Health Services. “I am incredibly proud to be a part of this project, which will ensure that our patients and workforce have the necessary infrastructure to ensure we continue to deliver excellent care for generations to come.”

Hensel Phelps, HMC Architects, and CO Architects lead the design-build team for the hospital tower, with the entire project expected to be completed by 2028. This redevelopment was spurred by SB 1953, state legislation requiring California hospitals to retrofit or rebuild outdated facilities to meet earthquake safety standards by 2030. Several other medical centers in Los Angeles County, including Cedars-Sinai and Kaiser Permanente, have recently begun similar renovations.

Read full story on UrbanizeLA