BCHD Board of Directors Considers General Obligation Bond Measure to help fund allcove Beach Cities Youth Wellness Center

May 1, 2024

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (May 1, 2024) – Looking to raise capital for the permanent home of allcove Beach Cities, demolish its former hospital building and develop open space on its campus, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors is considering placing a general obligation bond initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

The $30 million bond measure would provide funding for capital expenditures, including expanding youth mental health services by completing the allcove Beach Cities youth center using environmental and sustainability best practices. Funds will also be used to safely demolish the old South Bay Hospital building that was built in the late 1950s and does not meet current seismic construction standards. Then, the area where the building currently sits would be replaced with approximately two acres of open space to be used for outdoor health and wellness programs.

“We have analyzed many ways to fund the allcove building, which will provide health and wellness services for young people in the Beach Cities,” says Tom Bakaly, CEO of BCHD. “These options include equity, debt financing, public-private partnerships (P3), plus new revenue sources like grants, sponsorships, and general obligation bonds. We are looking for affordable ways to enable BCHD to continue its positive impact on our community.”

The “Beach Cities Health District Community Health/Wellness Measure” would levy $3.00 per $100,000 of assessed value on residences in the Beach Cities, generating $1.7 million per year for the BCHD project. The measure would also require that all spending be publicly disclosed and monitored, with all funds being used locally. It calls for the removal by demolition of asbestos and lead paint from the former hospital building while also funding the use of recycled water and solar power for the allcove Beach Cities facility.

FM3, a Los Angeles-based public policy-oriented research firm, conducted a survey of registered voters in the Beach Cities regarding a potential bond measure from April 13-18 and found that 66 percent of likely voters believe there is a need for funding for community health and wellness services in the Beach Cities area, up 14% from a similar FM3 survey conducted in the fall of 2021.

BCHD has scheduled three Community Meetings* to meet with residents to present information about the potential bond initiative and answer questions from the public.

BCHD Community Meetings

May 15, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at AdventurePlex*, 1701 Marine Ave., Manhattan Beach
May 16, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Beach Cities Health District, 514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach
June 3, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers, 1315 Valley Dr., Hermosa Beach

Click here or visit www.bchd.org/healthmeasure to register for a Community Meeting.

* Childcare will be provided for ages 4-12 on May 15 at AdventurePlex, registration is required for childcare.

BCHD representatives, including Bakaly, will also meet with community groups throughout Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach in the weeks ahead.

The measure may also rely on the passage of ACA-1, a state ballot initiative introduced by Assemblymember Cecelia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), which if passed, would lower the threshold for future bond measures in California – including those on the November 2024 ballot – from 67% (2/3) for approval, to 55%.

Media Contacts: Dan Smith, dan.smith@bchd.org or Cristan Mueller, cristan.mueller@bchd.org

About Beach Cities Health District

Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) is a healthcare special district focused on preventive health and serves the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. Established in 1955 as a public agency, it offers an extensive range of dynamic health and wellness programs, with innovative services and facilities to promote health and prevent diseases across the lifespan. BCHD also operates allcove Beach Cities, a youth mental health center for ages 12-25, AdventurePlex, a health and fitness facility where kids play their way to good health, and the Center for Health & Fitness, a comprehensive fitness center that is one of just two Medical Fitness Association-certified facilities in California. Visit www.bchd.org or call (310) 374-3426 for more information.