Beach Cities Health District launches RFEOI for former South Bay Hospital site; city council receives report amid neighborhood concerns

Beach Cities Health District on Tuesday presented a request for expression of interest for redevelopment of the former South Bay Hospital campus, saying the district seeks health‑aligned private partners while moving some district services into the campus’ 510 Building.

The district’s chief executive, Tom Backley, told the Redondo Beach City Council the RFEOI would seek proposals that align with the district’s Healthy Living Campus Master Plan (adopted in 2021) and that would address seismic safety and produce revenue to support the district’s programs. The district said the 510 Building — an existing structure whose land lease reverts to the district in 2030 — is proposed to receive the Center for Health and Fitness and a PACE (Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly) provider, the Jewish Community Home.

Backley said the RFEOI sets an explicit 60‑foot height limit and a 1.25 floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) cap for development on the Prospect Avenue parcel. He said the district is asking developers to concentrate new construction toward the center of the site rather than the property edges to reduce neighborhood impacts and noted the district prefers demolition or seismic retrofit solutions rather than leaving unsafe structures in place.

Why it matters: the site fronts Prospect Avenue and adjoins residential blocks that residents said would feel direct traffic, noise and property‑value impacts from large development. Council and speakers said they wanted clear limits and community input before any formal land‑use or entitlements process moves forward.

Key points from the presentation and discussion

- Uses under consideration: medically oriented services (including a PACE provider), affordable housing and behavioral‑health facilities were listed as potential uses; residential care for the elderly (RCFE) remains a possibility but the district said it is “casting a wider net” beyond RCFE only. - Phasing and reuse: the district said moving existing district uses…