BCHD Board OKs Contract with Healthy Living Campus Developer/Operator

Wednesday night, Sept. 28, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors approved the land lease agreement for WRC PMB Redondo Beach, the joint venture between PMB and Watermark for developing and operating BCHD’s proposed Healthy Living Campus.

The Board voted 3-0 to approve the 3-acre land lease with the developer, operator and design/build team for the proposed Healthy Living Campus (two board members were unable to attend the meeting). The agreement is for a 65-year term, with two potential 15-year extensions.

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. The design-build team includes Callison RTKL, 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.

“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 for 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.

With a focus on preventive health and wellness, the vision and campus plan approved by the BCHD Board foresees an energy-efficient, seismically compliant campus that will include the allcove Beach Cities center, providing mental health services for young people ages 12 – 25; two acres of green space and walking paths replacing acres of asphalt; a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) with outpatient programs to 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 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 Wednesday’s meeting, including the agenda and board packet, is available at BCHD’s public meetings page. The next BCHD Board meeting will be held Wednesday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m.