LA County to Revitalize Historic Complex
A 110-year-old mental health complex in Los Angeles County is set for revitalization. While details on the redevelopment are still emerging, the project aims to give the historic site new purpose. The project represents a significant local investment in public infrastructure and community health.
The project is set to revitalize six vacant, historic buildings on the 162-acre Metropolitan State Hospital campus in Norwalk. This mental health facility first opened in 1916 and at its peak, housed thousands of patients, though many of its buildings have been empty for decades. The total cost of the redevelopment is estimated at $107 million. A significant portion of this, $65 million, is funded by Proposition 1, the state's mental health funding bond passed in 2024. This project is the most significant to break ground using Prop 1 funds to date. The revitalization will create a "mental health treatment village" with 162 beds. This includes 32 locked psychiatric care beds for young adults, 70 interim housing beds with mental health services, and 60 permanent supportive housing apartments for adults with serious mental illness who were previously homeless. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has been a major proponent of the project. The plan also involves a long-term, 30-year lease agreement with the state for a 13-acre portion of the campus, a move made possible by a bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024. Construction is officially underway, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on March 6, 2026. The timeline for completion estimates the interim housing will be ready by late 2027, with the locked psychiatric beds becoming available in early 2028.
