Established in 1917 as a training and staging facility for the infantry, Fort Ord has been a significant part of Monterey County for nearly a century. Its official closure in 1994 brought both economic loss and opportunity to the seaside community. Through the base closure process, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula secured 13.4 acres of prime commercial property, allowing the only local health provider in the area to significantly expand outpatient medical and wellness services to the restructuring community.

For the development of the Peninsula Wellness Center, Community Hospital envisioned an integrated form of healthcare that would blend traditional medical services with fitness, rehabilitation, and wellness programs. This holistic approach to “preventative care” rather than “curative care” is aimed at helping people within the surrounding neighborhoods develop and sustain healthy lifestyles, and to reframe the way that healthcare is viewed by those who experience it firsthand.The program includes a 37,500 s.f. medically-based fitness center, as well as 27,500 s.f. of urgent care, imaging, lab, licensed physical therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation suites. Fitness center employees communicate closely with patients’ doctors, allowing for a holistic approach to health and healing.

Located on a former superfund site just a quarter-mile from the Pacific Ocean, sustainability was central to the design. An underground storm chamber bed with a capacity of 25,000 cubic feet was installed to ensure that storm water flows from the developed site are in line with pre-development flows, helping to protect coastal and marine ecosystems. Climate-appropriate plantings will be irrigated by the municipal non-potable water line once it becomes active, and carefully selected indoor plumbing fixtures will further reduce potable water use.

​​​​​​​The dehumidification system which serves the natatorium is also tasked with providing continuous energy recovery for pool water heating, and 90% of all wood elements in the building are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The project has earned LEED-NC Silver certification. Learn more from the Sustainability Case Study, the project’s LEED Scorecard, and its Materials List.