Local News in Brief : Irvine : Work on Irvine Medical Center Finally Begins
After many delays and nearly two decades of controversy, steel has begun to rise on the site of the city’s first hospital, Irvine Medical Center.
“The steel now rising out of the ground represents about 25% completion of the framing of two floors of the ancillary building of Irvine’s own community hospital,” according to John C. Gaffney, president of the facility. The hospital is owned by American Medical International, a private chain based in Beverly Hills.
Piles have been driven and concrete has been poured for the $90-million structure, the company said. Alterations to bring the building into compliance with state regulations caused a nine-month delay in construction, Gaffney said. The new completion date is spring, 1989.
Where the city’s first hospital should be located and whether it should be public or private were the subjects of vigorous debate in Irvine since the late ‘60s. UC Irvine fought until 1985 to have the medical center on its campus.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
