California Construction News staff writer
A major renovation of San Francisco’s Chinatown Public Health Center is underway, launching a $71 million project that will strengthen the facility against earthquakes and expand healthcare services for residents who rely on the clinic.
The modernization project, led by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and San Francisco Public Works, marks the first major renovation of the center in 55 years. The facility is considered the city’s most seismically vulnerable public health clinic.
The two-and-a-half-year project will include a full seismic retrofit, expanded clinical space and upgrades aimed at improving patient care. Planned improvements include more exam and consultation rooms, expanded dental services, integrated primary care and mental health services, improved accessibility, upgraded restrooms and elevators, and enhanced ventilation and air quality.
The renovated building also will house the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Chinatown Child Development Center, bringing children’s behavioral health services and family support programs into the same location.
“This project will deliver a seismically strengthened, modernized health care facility and will also become the new home of the Chinatown Child Development Center, bringing mental health and other critical services for children and families together in one location,” said SFDPH Director of Health Dan Tsai.
The health center closed in June to allow construction to begin. Patients have continued receiving care from their regular providers on the fourth floor of nearby Chinese Hospital while the renovation is underway. Health officials said they worked with community members to maintain access to services during the transition.
San Francisco Public Works is overseeing the retrofit and upgrades and is leading architectural design for the project. Suffolk Construction was selected as the contractor.
“The Chinatown Public Health Center plays an indispensable role in keeping San Franciscans healthy and cared for,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “These critical upgrades will ensure that the services the community rely on will continue in a setting with improved accessibility, seismic resilience and a new layout for expanded patient care.”
The project is funded primarily through the voter-approved Healthy, Safe, and Vibrant San Francisco Bond, which allocated $71 million for the renovation and seismic retrofit of the health center. The $390 million bond package includes more than $200 million for healthcare infrastructure improvements. An additional $5 million comes through the state’s Behavioral Health Services Act.
Community leaders said the renovation will help preserve access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare, particularly for older adults, immigrant families and residents who depend on services provided in their native languages.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents a historic moment for Chinatown as we move forward with the renovation of the neighborhood’s key location in accessing health care,” said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter.
Anni Chung, president and CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, said the organization has partnered with the health center for decades and supports the renovation as a way to continue providing healthcare services to Chinatown’s senior and immigrant communities.
The project follows earlier public health infrastructure investments funded through voter-approved bonds in 2008, 2016 and 2020 that expanded clinical capacity and improved access to behavioral health services throughout San Francisco’s public healthcare system.
