Children's to Stay in Oakland

Will rebuild next to current site

September 5, 2007

Children’s Hospital’s board of directors approved a plan to keep Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland in Oakland. The plan calls for rebuilding the hospital on land adjacent to its current site.

Harold Davis, the board’s chair, made the announcement Sept. 5 at a press conference attended by Ron Dellums, Oakland’s mayor; Ignacio De La Fuente, Oakland City Council president; and Jane Brunner, the council member representing Children’s Hospital’s district.

“Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland will remain in Oakland,” said Harold, “and it will expand in its current location.”

Mayor Dellums also signaled his approval. “It’s with extraordinary pleasure that I witness this announcement that Children’s Hospital will stay here in Oakland,” said the mayor.

“First, (because) Children’s Hospital is an icon in the city of Oakland and in this region, for its extraordinary service to children, the most precious resource in our community. It has demonstrated tremendous excellence in the treatment of children. And secondly, (because) this is a world-class research center as well.”

Rebuilding location and plan

The new hospital will be constructed on land between 52nd and 53rd streets, extending west from the curve of Highway 24 to the east sides of the parking garage and Outpatient Center. Once completed, the new hospital will increase Children’s capacity from 171 on-site beds to 250 private patient rooms.

The identified site is about one and-a-half acres, which may require building a 12-story building to accommodate the hospital’s needs. Children’s will continue to operate in its current facility during construction, expected to begin in 2010. The project must be completed by 2013 to meet the state’s deadline for seismic upgrades.

Paying for rebuilding Children’s

The project, estimated to cost about $700 million, will be financed through three primary sources, Harold said. First, Children’s has $100 million in the bank, $73 million of it from state Proposition 61 funds. A second statewide children’s hospitals proposition scheduled for the November 2008 ballot, if successful, will provide Children’s another $100 million.

Second, the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation will raise $150 million through private donations. Finally, Alameda County voters are being asked to approve a modest $2 a month parcel tax on the Feb. 5 presidential primary ballot. Called Measure A, the “Special Tax to Support Children’s Hospital Construction Program,” it will provide another $300 million.

Campaign to rebuild

Children’s gathered enough signatures to get its property tax initiative on the Alameda County ballot. But the county board of supervisors asked Children’s to make some changes in the measure’s wording. Children’s agreed; the board approved the new version and then placed both versions on the ballot. While the first version is still on the ballot, Children’s Hospital is throwing its full support behind the new version—Measure A—and asks you to vote for it.

To win, Measure A requires two-thirds of the electorate to vote yes. If both measures pass, only the one with the most votes will become law.

Please vote yes on Measure A the “Special Tax to Support Children’s Hospital Construction Program.”

Listening to neighbors

With any large development project, communication and collaboration with the neighborhood are essential. Children’s has already begun holding community meetings to present the building project to the hospital’s neighbors, and to listen to their concerns.

“We realize this building project will impact our neighbors, and it is our commitment to preserve their quality of life as much as possible,” said Mary Dean, Children’s Hospital’s senior vice president, external affairs. “To succeed, this project must be a partnership with the neighborhood, city and county.”

The hospital board is “committed to respecting and partnering with our neighbors as part of the planning process,” said Frank Tiedemann, Children’s president and chief executive officer.

“This is a historic time for our hospital and the community that depends on our services,” said Frank. “The construction of our new medical center provides a long-awaited opportunity to match the excellence of our medical staff with a superb facility. We’re treating an increasing number of children with some of the most complex and serious illnesses. We need a new building to give them the best possible healthcare experience.”