$40-Million Hospital Planned for Palmdale

The owners of the only hospital in Palmdale say they plan to build a new $40-million, 120-bed medical center in the fast-growing community by 1993, and convert their current 26-year-old facility to some other medical use.

Officials of Orange-based Affiliated Medical Enterprises, which owns Palmdale Hospital Medical Center and four hospitals elsewhere, told residents this week that construction on the new project could begin by the spring of next year.

The current hospital is in southern Palmdale. The new facility would be on a 23-acre site in the northern part of the city, close to Air Force Plant 42 and a new regional mall under construction.

The site is on the north side of Avenue P, west of Division Street, near the Antelope Valley Country Club. Neighbors voiced general support for the hospital but urged the company to reduce the height of a proposed five-story medical office building to three stories.

By 1993, the company plans to open the new three-story, 115,000-square-foot hospital, a two-story outpatient care center of about 50,000 square feet and one or two medical office buildings. Company officials said a second 120-bed hospital wing and other facilities could be added later.

Company officials said they decided against maintaining the current hospital, which has 59 medical beds and 64 for psychiatric care, because of its age, location and proximity to the San Andreas earthquake fault. The company is considering using the buildings for nursing or psychiatric care.