Red shovels and hard hats marked Thursday鈥檚 groundbreaking for an expansive redevelopment of the historic St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C.
First up is a building for the Whitman Walker Health System.
鈥淚t means access to quality health care,鈥� said Ward 8 Council Member Trayon White Sr. 鈥淲e have some of the highest health disparities per capita in the nation.鈥�
, the CEO of Whitman Walker Health, said the new building will house comprehensive primary care and a broad spectrum of services.
鈥淲e will have limited radiology here — which will be an expansion for us — individual and group psychotherapy, psychiatry, nursing, public benefits, legal services, dental, nutrition, outreach and community health and we鈥檒l have a pharmacy on the ground floor,鈥� she said at the groundbreaking to enthusiastic applause.
The facility also will house the Whitman-Walker Institute, which is devoted to the organization鈥檚 research, policy and advocacy.
Future development at the site will include housing, new offices, retail and other amenities.
One of the developers for the broader St. Elizabeths project said he and his associates are 鈥渆xtremely proud鈥� of the endeavor.
鈥淲e鈥檙e laying the foundation for more than walls; in fact, we鈥檙e laying the groundwork for new bridges. Bridges that — it gives me great pride to say — will bring one of the region鈥檚 most innovative health care providers to the campus and to Southeast D.C.,鈥� said Louis Dubin, managing partner at Redbrick LMD.
鈥淭his space is about more than a building; it鈥檚 the realization of a bold vision to being quality health care and economic vitality to this wonderful community,鈥� Dubin said.
The new rental apartments and townhouses that are for sale target various income levels. Around 30% of the 88 townhouses will be 鈥渁ffordable鈥� with financial support from the city; the rest will be market-priced.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told those gathered for the groundbreaking that city plans for St. Elizabeths East include a new hospital.
鈥淲e want to keep you out of the hospital, but if you need to go to the hospital, we want you to have a new hospital. And you鈥檙e going to have a new hospital, and you鈥檙e going to have one right here at St. Elizabeth鈥檚,鈥� Bowser said.
The Whitman Walker Building is expected to open in the first quarter of 2023.
