Administrators recently offered an update on a variety of construction projects affecting the Health Sciences Campus community. In a memo distributed by Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Laura Mosqueda, MD, and Rod Hanners, COO of Keck Medicine of USC and CEO of Keck Medical Center of USC, updates included the status of the beautification project, parking improvements and street closures.
Regarding the Campus Beautification Project: Construction on the east side of Biggy Street is underway and scheduled to be completed in June. Construction on Eastlake Street is tentatively scheduled to begin in July, contingent on final approvals from the city’s Department of Transportation. Because this phase of construction will have significant impact on the driveway for USC Norris Cancer Hospital, more details will be provided at a later date.
Regarding the hotel: A private developer-built Hyatt House 200-room hotel with a conference center is being built on the corner of San Pablo and Alcazar streets. It will include a variety of retail food options, while the conference/meeting space is planned to be operated by USC Auxiliary Services. The hotel is scheduled to be completed in May 2020, with the first guests able to check in later that summer.
Regarding the second on-campus housing project: A second, private, developer-built on-campus housing project that will provide 271 additional beds is under construction adjacent to Currie Hall and the San Pablo Parking Structure. The project, which began construction in January, is scheduled to be completed in July 2020, when it will bring the number of beds for students and residents on the Health Sciences Campus to 741.
Regarding the Valley Parking Lot: Planning has started for the addition of 1,000 surface parking spaces where the Valley Warehouse Building and the vacated Edmondson Research Building currently exist. The goal is for an expanded Valley Lot with improved vehicular and pedestrian access and lighting. Construction to begin later this year, with a targeted completion date in late 2020.
Regarding the Soto Street Widening: This project, which is being managed by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, has three phases. The current phase involves removing the railroad bridge on Soto Street, over Valley Boulevard. The second phase, which will widen the bridge, will be completed in late 2021. The last phase will widen Soto Street and relocate and improve the driveway to the university’s Soto buildings.
Regarding the Pappas Quad projects: Three projects are planned for the buildings around Harry and Celesta Pappas Quad. The Hoffman Medical Research Building will see interior renovations of the core lab areas in the building. Construction will begin in June through September. The Mudd Memorial Research Building will have a new underground steam vault and steam piping system constructed directly east of Pappas Quad. Construction will begin in May and be completed in August. The Keith Administration Building (KAM) will have a chilled water project, to bring underground chilled water piping from the existing line at the northeast corner of the Norris Medical Library (NML) into the KAM basement along the walkway just north of NML. Construction will begin in May and will be completed in August.