By: David Ellison Join the Office of Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, County Engineering Department and Public Health for a groundbreaking ceremony to announce the first construction phase of the estimated $200 million revitalization of the historic Riverside General Hospital facility, which will be the health department’s headquarters. Riverside opened in 1927 as the first local non-profit hospital for Black patients. It closed in 2015 for various reasons. Commissioner Ellis and county officials are planning Riverside’s future that includes essential healthcare preventive services in Third Ward and other areas. Upon completion of the first construction phase, the Harris County Public Health ACCESS (Accessing Coordinated Care and Empowering Self-Sufficiency) Program will open its doors to serve residents addressing the unmet needs of specific populations. Th e first phase includes renovation of three historic buildings – the hospital, nursing school and laundry building – that are on the National Register of Historic Places at the 4.3-acre site in Third Ward. The project is partially funded by $9.6 million in grants, including $7.1 million from the Houston Endowment and $2.5 million from the State of Qatar, which donated the money as part of the $30 million Qatar Harvey Fund to assist Southeast Texas with damages from 2017 Hurricane Harvey.

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