Northeast Philly Health Centers: Residents Demand Faster Build

Northeast Philadelphia Residents Advocate for Accelerated Health Center Construction

From the communities spanning Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, to South Jersey and Delaware, WHYY News seeks to understand the issues impacting your life. A significant point of concern currently revolves around the timeline for two planned city health centers in Northeast Philadelphia, with residents and community organizations urging officials to expedite construction and address the area’s critical need for expanded healthcare services. The project, initially unveiled in 2023, aims to alleviate the existing “health desert” conditions within the community.

The city’s projected completion date for both facilities currently sits in 2029 or early 2030, according to recently released planning documents. However, the Coalition for City Health Centers is proposing a more ambitious schedule, advocating for a 24-month timeline for the Friends Hospital campus location, with a target opening date of 2027. This push for faster progress stems from a growing frustration among residents who feel the need for accessible healthcare is immediate.

Addressing Delays and Historical Context at Friends Hospital Site

The proposed health center on the Friends Hospital campus will occupy a site where the historic Lawnside building once stood. This structure, sadly, fell into disrepair over many years before suffering significant damage in a September 2025 fire, ultimately leading to its demolition. Residents, including Mingchu Pearl Huynh, president and founder of the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association, express deep concern over the protracted delays. "It’s been more than two years," Huynh stated, emphasizing the hardship faced by families in need of timely medical attention.

Currently, the site remains an empty lot, and construction isn't slated to begin until 2027. Community advocates recently presented a memorandum to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration and City Council members, outlining strategies to accelerate the project, drawing on past examples of expedited permitting and construction processes. Huynh noted, “We are not experts. The city knows what to do, but this is an important project. We deserve faster.”

City Response and Project Details

Despite the calls for acceleration, city officials maintain that the project remains a high priority. Aparna Palantino, deputy managing director of the Capital Program Office, stated in a recent communication, “Easy access to primary care is one of the best drivers of good health, and this investment in both health centers is what is required to address the long-standing access desert in that community.” She emphasized the city’s belief that both centers are essential and should not be prioritized over one another.

The Friends Hospital facility is envisioned as a 60,000-square-foot center offering comprehensive primary care and other vital health services. City projections indicate the site will facilitate over 30,000 appointments annually. A request for proposals details a $45 million budget and a planned construction start date in 2027, with an estimated completion time of at least two years.

Second Health Center and Ongoing Advocacy

Alongside the Friends Hospital project, a second, smaller health center is progressing at a vacant property near the Frankford Transportation Center. This mixed-use development will also incorporate affordable housing and is currently in the design and predevelopment phase. The city is collaborating with the Frankford Community Development Corporation to finalize the project’s budget.

City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, representing District 7, has been a key supporter of the initiative, securing funding and regulatory approvals in 2023 and 2024. She acknowledged the existing delays but assured ongoing efforts to maintain momentum and expedite progress. “My focus is on maintaining momentum and advancing it as quickly as possible,” Lozada affirmed.

Advocates like Adam Goldman, executive director at the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, highlight the urgent need, citing wait times for new patient appointments at Health Center 10 in Rawnhurst, the sole existing city location serving the Northeast, which can extend up to 10 months. These centers provide crucial, comprehensive care and accept patients regardless of insurance status, offering sliding scale payment options for those with low incomes. Goldman concluded, “We know they care about this and so we really just want to see where they can shorten the timeline, where we can speed things up so that people can really get help as quickly as possible.”

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