The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week approved early-stage plans to renovate an auditorium on the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Campus in Willowbrook as a child care center for up to 100 youngsters.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said both medical staff and neighborhood residents have been asking for years about a child care facility.
“The center will allow doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to rest assured that their kids are in a safe place nearby, allowing them to focus on keeping the community healthy,” Ridley-Thomas said. “Local residents will also be able to take advantage of the service.”
The Department of Public Works (DPW) has recommended more than doubling the space in the Hudson Auditorium to 9,000 square feet and adding a 10,000-square-foot playground.
The remodel is expected to include two infant rooms, two classrooms for toddlers, three preschool classrooms, a staff lounge and an administrative office. The Department of Health Services said the project would cost an estimated $6.5 to $7.5 million.
The board also authorized the DPW to move forward with draft architectural plans and then return them for further approval of the project budget and timeline.
The medical campus includes a community hospital, outpatient center and psychiatric urgent care center. The county is also building a new recuperative care center designed to house homeless patients after they are discharged from the hospital.
