Some Hospitals Have Already Abandoned Buildings Prior to SB 1953 Deadline

SACRAMENTO—With the deadline for California hospitals to submit attestations of 2030 seismic safety coming up on January 1, 2020, hospitals will need to perform certain seismic upgrades to comply. The deadline comes as part of the requirements under California Senate Bill 1953, which established five structural and five non-structural classifications of hospital building seismic safety levels, as well as deadlines for some classifications. The legislation requires general acute care hospitals with buildings that do not substantially comply with seismic standards to attest that boards of directors are aware that buildings are required to meet the January 1, 2030 compliance deadline.

The reality of SB 1953 is that many hospitals have already or will need to abandon certain buildings that cannot be economically re-engineered and remodeled to meet the new law, according to Carol Cole, interior designer with architecture and planning firm Dahlin Group. In this exclusive, Cole explores the options for buildings that ultimately will not be able to accommodate acute care in California.

Adaptive reuse is a viable option that typically is less expensive than new construction, as the shell of the building is left mainly intact, and pre-developed for services and infrastructure. Communities are usually positive toward the re-use of these buildings, which are generally located in familiar, well-used areas, and these projects create jobs and avoid blight, Cole says.

“Several of these vacant buildings have already been re-purposed without any mention of the SB 1953 law, as the hospital groups do not want the buildings perceived as dangerous,” Cole tells GlobeSt.com. “Several recent adaptive re-use projects have created well-needed healthcare, medical and wellness spaces that are now significantly located. These offer the neighborhoods access to more varied care and allow medical groups to offer more currently requested wellness offerings for rehabilitation, fitness and follow-up care.”

Cole says these buildings present many varied utilization possibilities. Other de-commissioned hospital buildings have already been transformed into retail and even luxury apartments. Because hospitals are usually centrally located near other commercial services, residential and mixed-use conversion has been successful. Other transformations have included skilled nursing, a charter school with housing and even business incubators.

“There are incentives to the adaptive reuse of these properties,” Cole tells GlobeSt.com. “They enrich neighborhoods and attract a wider population base. There is also a welcome sustainability factor that favors the salvaging of the building components that are not directed to landfills.”

Many communities will offer development incentives for these re-use projects in an effort to protect city history, and preserve jobs and the character of neighborhoods. The existing transportation networks will remain and repurposed buildings will help preserve city tax revenue. Many communities will offer tax and development incentives for these reuse projects.

“However with any transformation, there are challenges,” Cole tells GlobeSt.com. “Some of the abandoned spaces are situated deep into the healthcare campus, and the overall master plan of the area will help to determine the best use of the space.”

Parking is usually a concern for any re-use effort, as office or retail space may require more parking. Most projects will require some seismic upgrade but not to the level of hospitals which are required to not only withstand a major earthquake, but also remain fully functional as a hospital. Older buildings may require addressing upgrades for technology along with electrical and mechanical codes. Plumbing improvements are routinely an issue, as additional fixtures may need to be added per current codes and city sewer use may determine if the building can be utilized for commercial or residential, Cole points out.

Some communities are concerned that as hospital buildings are removed, valuable medical services will be lost. Urgent care or emergency services are being developed in many communities to offset the loss of hospital space and serve as a practical re-use type, as long as they do not house overnight patients (past the 23 hour-mark).

“A feasibility study is the best way to determine use, condition and cost for any site,” Cole tells GlobeSt.com. “Parking, engineering, differing codes for reuse occupation and the amount of renovation for each particular transformation will need to be accessed. Regardless of the project’s direction, it will require the right team to get the community involved, understand the needs of the neighborhood, conduct an infrastructure assessment and recognize the costs.”

2020 is one of the major milestones in the SB 1953 timeline and will result in more hospital buildings being unavailable. These can present rare development opportunities that should be studied and considered for building community infrastructure and sustainably repurposing these structures.

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