PMB & Beach City Health District’s Healthy Living Campus Modernization Moves Forward
BCHD Board votes 5-0 to select developer, operator and design-build team. With campus remodel focused on preventive wellness for all ages, goal is to address everything from the need for assisted living to teen mental health.
In a 5-0 vote, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors approved the selection of a developer, operator and design/build team for the proposed Healthy Living Campus at a special board meeting August 8th, 2022.
PMB, which has developed more than 100 health care projects, and Watermark, the ninth largest senior living operator in the U.S., will be the developer and operator, respectively, for the Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) facility on the BCHD campus. PMB/Watermark included a design-build team in their final proposal: CallisonRTKL, a multinational design-build architecture firm that’s worked on more than 100 projects in and around Los Angeles; and Suffolk Construction, with 39 years of general contracting experience across the U.S., including the design of more than 800 senior living units in California, round out the collaborative effort.
“During a lengthy, meticulous selection process with input from the community and advisory groups, PMB/Watermark presented the most impressive, detailed plan,” said Tom Bakaly, BCHD CEO, who cited their work at the Peninsula Wellness Community in Burlingame, Calif., as a model for the Healthy Living Campus. “They’re collaborative and their team understands our need for social and fiscal responsibility, innovation and developing a sustainable campus.”
The campus redevelopment began in 2017 when BCHD first presented a modernization plan to replace the 60-year-old former hospital building on their 11-acre campus bordered by N. Prospect Ave., Beryl St., Flagler Ln., and Diamond St. Since then, extensive public outreach produced more than 60 meetings and 1,500-plus comments and responses that evolved the vision and the revised master plan to create a state-of-the-art campus that serves all ages throughout the Beach Cities community.
“The Healthy Living Campus is an innovative project that aligns with our corporate ethos – to improve health care delivery, affect positive change and have a beneficial impact on the community,” said Nolan Weinberg, vice president of development for PMB, which specializes in developing health care real estate across the U.S. “This unique opportunity – with abundant partnership and programming prospects – brings an incredible intergenerational project to the Beach Cities.”
With a focus on preventive health and wellness (more than 70 percent of chronic diseases can be prevented), the vision and campus plan approved by the BCHD Board of Directors foresees an energy-efficient, seismically compliant campus that will include a youth wellness center (mental health services for ages 12 – 25); two acres of green space and bike/walking paths replacing acres of asphalt; outpatient programs that help people age in their homes; a 217-unit RCFE facility; community activities that include Yoga, moais and cooking classes to promote preventive health; and more.
“The alignment between Watermark, PMB, our design-build team and the health district is the future for modern senior living,” says Bryan Schachter, chief investment officer for Watermark, which currently operates 68 senior living facilities across the U.S., including 14 in California. “This was a thorough, impressive selection process and we’re eager to apply our experience from across the nation – and particularly in California – to fully execute this exciting project.”
The finance model for the campus revitalization is a public-private partnership, which utilizes private investments in public projects to bolster taxpayers’ return on investment. This philosophy enabled BCHD to provide a $3.01-to-$1 return on investment for tax revenues received in fiscal year 2020-21.
More information from Monday’s meeting, including the agenda and board packet, is available at https://www.bchd.org/board-directors-meetings.
