Mayor Lurie Breaks Ground On $76 Million Modernization Of Public Health Center In Chinatown

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today broke ground on a major modernization of the Chinatown Public Health Center (CPHC), a project that will deliver significant clinical improvements and important seismic upgrades at the city’s most seismically vulnerable health clinic. The modernization project will be led by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and San Francisco Public Works.

This major investment in the city’s healthcare infrastructure builds on Mayor Lurie’s work to support San Franciscans’ healthcare in the face of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal healthcare cuts through H.R. 1. Just yesterday, the Lurie administration launched a new program to help San Franciscans navigate new federal requirements to maintain food assistance benefits, building on a $34 million investment in Mayor Lurie’s budget to help families stay on CalFresh and Medi-Cal. Mayor Lurie also made significant investments in this budget in maternal and infant health, drug treatment and mental health services, homelessness prevention, and low-cost childcare to support San Francisco families. And under his Family Opportunity Agenda, San Francisco will be the first city in the country to ensure every family has access to childcare.

“The Chinatown Public Health Center is a cornerstone for the Chinese and AAPI immigrant communities and for families across San Francisco who rely on culturally competent care. With its first renovation in 55 years, this building will undergo a renovation that will allow it to continue serving this community and our city for generations to come,” said Mayor Lurie. “As the federal government cuts healthcare for our families, we are stepping up—because no matter what happens anywhere else, San Franciscans should know they can count on our city.”

The CPHC project will include a full seismic retrofit to strengthen SFDPH’s most seismically vulnerable clinic. It will integrate primary and medical care with mental and behavioral health services, expand dental care, increase the number of exam and consultation rooms, improve accessibility with barrier-free access, upgrade restrooms, make elevator enhancements, and enhance air quality and ventilation. The project will also co-locate CPHC with SFDPH’s Chinatown Child Development Center, improving access to behavioral health services for the community.

Since CPHC closed in June, patients have been receiving healthcare services from their typical providers on the fourth floor of Chinese Hospital nearby. SFDPH worked closely with community members to provide a seamless transition for patients, ensuring health services were offered in the community during construction.

“We are thrilled to break ground on the Chinatown Public Health Center for the community here in Chinatown and for patients across San Francisco who rely on its high-quality, culturally competent care,” said SFDPH Director of Health Dan Tsai. “This project will deliver a seismically strengthened, modernized health care facility and will also become the new home of the Chinatown Child Development Center, bringing mental health and other critical services for children and families together in one location.”

San Francisco Public Works is managing the retrofit and upgrades at CPHC as well as leading the architectural design. Suffolk Construction has been selected as the contractor.

“The Chinatown Public Health Center plays an indispensable role in keeping San Franciscans healthy and cared for,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Carla Short. “These critical upgrades that we’re delivering in partnership with the Department of Public Health will ensure that the services the community rely on will continue in a setting with improved accessibility, seismic resilience, and a new layout for expanded patient care.”

City departments are coordinating closely with residents and merchants to minimize traffic and construction impacts from various projects happening throughout Chinatown, including the health center’s renovation.

“Today’s groundbreaking represents a historic moment for Chinatown as we move forward with the renovation of the neighborhood’s key location in accessing health care,” said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. “Our AAPI immigrant families and monolingual seniors in Chinatown deserve world-class health care, and this project will deliver that. Thank you to all the voters who approved the 2024 Prop B bond for making this important capital improvement project possible.”

“Self-Help for the Elderly has been a close partner with the Chinatown Public Health Center since the Lady Shawn Senior Center opened in 1990 and is excited to see construction begin to rebuild the Chinatown Public Health Center,” said Anni Chung, President and CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly. “It is important to rebuild this center to continue providing the culturally and linguistically competent medical and health services to our monolingual seniors and immigrant families in the AAPI community.”

Funding for the two-and-a-half-year project comes in part from the voter-approved Healthy, Safe, and Vibrant San Francisco Bond, introduced by Mayor London Breed in 2024. More than $200 million from the $390 million bond is dedicated to healthcare infrastructure improvements, including $71 million dedicated to the full seismic retrofit and renovation of CPHC. An additional $5 million comes through the state’s voter-approved Behavioral Health Services Act. Previous public health general obligation bonds in 2008, 2016, and 2020 have funded the expansion of clinical capacity and improved access to behavioral health care by modernizing patient care spaces and creating greater integration of primary care and behavioral health services throughout SFDPH’s network of hospitals, clinics, and health centers.

“The Chinatown Public Health Center is an essential community institution, and Suffolk is privileged to partner with the City and County of San Francisco on this transformative project,” said Preston Hoopes, General Manager of Suffolk Northern California. “We firmly believe that building stronger communities begins with investing in the places and services that people rely on every day. As builders, we have a responsibility to be good neighbors and trusted partners, and we are proud to play a role in helping preserve and strengthen a resource that has supported generations of Chinatown residents and families.”

CPHC, formerly known as Health Center Number Four, has proudly served San Franciscans at its current location with a focus on the Chinese and Asian American community since 1971, providing culturally competent health care with a focus on low-income and limited or non-English-speaking patients. The health center provides primary medical and behavioral health care services, dental care, podiatry, acupuncture, nutrition services, clinical pharmacist visits, and a nurse’s clinic. Owned and operated by SFDPH, the clinic serves nearly 4,000 patients annually with nearly 20,000 patient visits.