PALMDALE, CA—Thomas Partners Properties has unveiled plans to build a $200 million wellness center called the Oasis. The 420,000-square-foot property will sit on 17.5 acres of vacant land that the family developer has owned for more than 60 years. The property is adjacent to the Palmdale Regional Medical Center and will provide out patient services to the Antelope Valley community, 45% of which currently commute into Los Angeles for their healthcare needs.
“I was looking at this acreage that we have, and thinking about the Affordable Care Act, and the direction of healthcare in America, I thought that we can do something special here, because you don't find large acreage like this on campus with a major new hospital,” John S. Thomas, president and developer of Thomas Partners Properties, tells GlobeSt.com. “There isn't a lot of new hospital construction, and the hospitals that already exist have campuses that have been built out. You don't see this wellness concept often; the closest one that I have heard of is in Henderson, NV.”
Thomas conceived the idea after developing a relationship with the CEO of the adjacent hospital, and realized that there was a great need for out patient services and that a significant percentage of Antelope Valley residents commute into L.A. for healthcare. “To me, that is a missed opportunity,” he says. “I knew, then, that if we were going to build something, we needed a critical mass of medical services being offered and it has to be partnered with world-class and quality brands that you would recognize.”
Thomas has already pre-leased a large portion of the building, although he is not able to disclose any of the tenants yet. However, he said that he is going to make the center a stomping ground for locals and a place that inspires health and wellbeing. For example, he is going to include a women's day spa on site, where women can get a manicure or pedicure before or after getting a mammogram—a test that is extremely important in early detection of breast cancer.
Thomas has also worked with the mayor's office to ensure that the property will double as a community center for residents. “Antelope Valley didn't have any community centers,” says Thomas. “There was no place where you could enjoy the environment and walk outside. I want a place that the community can be proud of, not just a place where you go to see your doctor—although that is important. On the weekends, we are going to have farmer's markets and movies and yoga in the little park.”
Holding onto the land for 60 years, of course, wasn't easy, but the company is long-term, generational holders of their properties—which is why the mayor and the hospital were so eager to partner with the company. “It has been a real struggle to hold onto the land over the years, but we as a family always build to own,” says Thomas. “It is one of the reasons that the hospital and the city were so attracted to us, because they know that we are going to be a good community partner. We are going to build a quality space and we are going to own this property forever.”
Development is in the pre-production phase, and construction is set to begin in June 2016.
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