Work is officially underway on a new Houston Health Department facility to better serve the Sunnyside community, a focus of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Houston Complete Communities Initiative.
Mayor Turner joined District D Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, health department director Stephen Williams, and community members on Wednesday to break ground on the new Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center at 4410 Reed Rd.
“This project is another example of the outstanding collaboration between my Office of Complete Communities, the Houston Health Department, and the community itself,” said Mayor Turner. “This new center will make a crucial difference and help improve the lives of people in Sunnyside and surrounding communities, among the most under-resourced in our city.”
The 57,165 square foot center will combine community service oriented multi-service center programs and health center programs into one facility, a first for the health department. A large two-story indoor atrium will connect the health and multi-service areas as well as the front and back porches.
“People visiting the new combined center for a community event or a class typically offered at a multi-service center will now also get a chance to see and learn about health services,” said Williams. “I look forward to seeing the ways this center helps Sunnyside residents live healthier and improve their lives.”
The center will include immunization, dental, family planning, sexual health, tuberculosis, and WIC services, in addition to programs for mental health, new mothers, and seniors.
A large auditorium, conference rooms, and classrooms are included for use by neighborhood and non-profit organizations. The site will also include a fitness room, quarter-mile mile walking trail, exercise equipment, community garden, and benches.
The new $25.8 million center will replace the current facility, which opened in 1975 with an anticipated building life of 30 years. The current center averages about 4,500 monthly client encounters.
Kirksey Architecture and J.T. Vaughn Construction lead the project with opening anticipated in October 2022.