CHA Health Systems to Build Medical Offices in Hollywood

CHA Health Systems has won approval to top a parking garage at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center with three stories of medical offices.

Los Angeles City Council gave the South Korea-based health care firm a go-ahead to build 96,000 square feet of offices above the garage at 1321-1323 North Virgil Avenue, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.

The three-story garage has two underground levels, with parking for 562 cars. Plans call for adding three stories of offices, resulting in a six-story building. It would include medical clinics, diagnostics and imaging, a pharmacy and shops.

The project, designed by Downtown-based KMD Architects, would be covered in glass, white metal panels and painted concrete.

It’s part of a 10-year, $350 million expansion at Hollywood Presbyterian that includes a five-story, 175,000-square-foot inpatient tower built in 2019. It also includes a 26,000-square-foot expansion of its emergency department, along with a new maternity and neonatal intensive care unit.

The garage expansion beat back an appeal by Doug Haines of the La Mirada Neighborhood Association, who alleged the medical office building violated local zoning rules. A second appeal, lodged by the union coalition Creed LA, was dropped.

CHA Health Systems, led by fertility expert Dr. Kwang-yul Cha, owns 25 hospitals and clinics and 30 healthcare companies, according to its website.

In 2004, the firm bought the 434-bed Hollywood Presbyterian, once known as Queen of Angels, from Tenet Healthcare for $69 million.

A nearby hospital with a similar build-out is Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, which launched a three-phase expansion six years ago at Sunset Boulevard and Vermont Avenue.

In March last year, the Kaiser Foundation added to the East Hollywood medical complex with the purchase of a 73-room Travelodge motel for $30.8 million.

— Dana Bartholomew