GILROY
– With a deal in the works to relocate a Gilroy medical center
serving low-income patients to the heart of downtown, rumors
continue to ripple among concerned area merchants and city
officials about possible drug rehabilitation programs that could be
included in the facility.
GILROY – With a deal in the works to relocate a Gilroy medical center serving low-income patients to the heart of downtown, rumors continue to ripple among concerned area merchants and city officials about possible drug rehabilitation programs that could be included in the facility.
This morning Gardner Family Health Network’s Chief Executive Officer Reymundo Espinoza confirmed that his company is negotiating a deal to relocate its current Gilroy medical center on Sixth and Princevalle streets to the northeast corner of Monterey and Fifth streets.
The medical center would move into the building currently occupied by the Garlic Festival Store, 7526 Monterey St.
Garlic Festival Store owners Tom and Carol Simpson did not return calls for this story by deadline. But their real estate agent, Intero Reality’s Kim Lavagnino, said the building was sold to Gardner Family Health last week. This morning, Espinoza said the deal had not yet been finalized.
Several downtown merchants are expressing concerns that the health center will include drug, alcohol and HIV/AIDS treatment, but Espinoza said the facility will serve low-income patients with medical and dental needs, not drug addicts.
“Our services at our new building will be the same as we have now at our Gilroy location (the South County Gardner Family Health Center at 700 W. Sixth St.),” Espinoza said. “Our philosophy is to be in the community we serve, so moving downtown would help us become more accessible to many of our Gilroy clients.”
Espinoza said that the facility will offer outpatient mental health services and classes contracted through the state for people convicted of drinking and driving, but he said the four doctors and two dentists at the facility will focus on pediatrics and family practice.
Others aren’t so convinced.
On Thursday, Mayor Tom Springer said he had received several calls from downtown merchants complaining that a drug rehab clinic was scheduled for downtown.
Springer said he was concerned because the recent emergency moratorium passed by city council to keep business such as tattoo parlors, head shops, auto garages and bars that do not serve food from opening in downtown would not prevent a rehab center from opening its doors in the heart of Gilroy.
Rehabilitation and medical businesses would be classified as “professional” offices and allowable under the moratorium, Springer said.
“If it does turn out to be a rehab center, I can tell you that (City Council) will try everything to stop it (from coming downtown),” Springer said. “Obviously this wouldn’t fit with our specific plan. This could have a counter effect on our plan to bring people downtown and generate revenue.”
Although the City Council’s Downtown Specific Plan isn’t scheduled to be complete until mid 2004, many local business and city leaders have made public their desire for tax-revenue generating business to open downtown.
“My first reaction is that putting a medical facility in the middle of downtown is far from our vision for revitalization,” said City Councilman Al Pinheiro, who has been the Council’s loudest proponent of downtown development. “If we lose a retail anchor like (the Garlic Festival Store), I would hope we can replace with another retail shop.”
A medical facility is far from a retail store, but Espinoza said the not-for-profit South County Gardner Family Health Center is a needed asset to the community.
Since opening in Gilroy less than two years ago, the facility has seen its clientele continually grow, Espinoza said.
Moving from its current 3,800 square foot site to the 10,000 square foot unit downtown, Garnder would be able to expand its services to hundreds more patients, Espinoza said.
Espinoza said more than 80 percent of Gardner’s patients are low-income, and it is one of the few medical facilities in South County which accept Medi-Cal.
“Right now we are bursting at the seems with our patient load in Gilroy,” he said. “I understand the communities wants to revitalize downtown, but they also need to realize the need for accessible health care.”
