Hospital New Parking Lot Opens June 24 June 24, 2019 Parking at the hospital just got easier. On Monday, June 24, Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital opened a long-awaited parking lot located directly in front of the hospital’s Emergency entrance. Accessible by Bay Street, the new lot provides about 90 spaces for patient and visitor parking only and allows easy access for patient drop-off and pick-up at the building doors. From this parking lot, people can access the hospital through the Emergency entrance. They can also continue to use the Ninth Street walkway through the old building. “We know this parking lot has been a long time coming for folks in our community, and we celebrate its opening,” said SPCH Chief Executive Officer, Lesley Ogden, MD. “While we know it won’t accommodate every visitor to the hospital, it will ease the parking strain until more lots are built.” In addition to this newly opened lot, patients and visitors can continue to park in the lot at the corner of Abbey and Ninth streets, and at the Center for Health Education at 740 SW Ninth St. Parking is still available nearest the old hospital and on surface streets. Employees will continue to park off-campus. “We have reiterated to employees that they are to continue to park off-campus for the foreseeable future, leaving the closest spots for patients. We have also asked that any visiting employee from our other hospital sites follow the same rules,” Ogden added. SPCH continues to lease three off-campus lots for staff, as well as continuing to offer them incentives to park outside the zone adjoining the hospital campus. Meanwhile, the second phase of construction continues. The 1988 building has been demolished to its steel beams, a new roof is being installed, and the seismic retrofit is underway. Once complete, the oldest section of the hospital bordering Ninth Street will be torn down for parking. Anticipated completion of the full project is late next summer.
