Sprinkler project at hospital halved

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Due to budget constraints, officials at Glendale Adventist Medical Center are installing fire safety sprinklers on only the ground floor of a two-story building that hosts community activities for low-income residents and families.

Glendale’s Community Development Block Grant committee awarded $129,500 to the Center for Mission and Community Development to make safety improvements in the Community Services Center, which is next to Glendale Adventist and was constructed in the late 1920s, said Moisès Carrillo, senior community development supervisor.

But the budget for the original project proposal — to put in sprinklers on both levels of the structure — turned out to cost twice as much as the funding available, he said.

Hospital officials said they will look for funding for the second level while sprinklers are being installed on the ground floor.

“With the cost increases in construction and some other extra costs — because the building’s so old — there’s some unanticipated costs,” Carrillo said. “In doing some of the sprinkler work, it’s going to be phased into the lower level . . . and then as they either apply for or seek other funding, they’ll go to the second level. I think they’re looking at the phased approach.”

The center has a charity food pantry and thrift store on the first floor and a gym on the second floor that hosts various activities for seniors, church youth groups, community group performances and some hospital activities, including a rehabilitation program for disabled children.

“It’s just intended to be purely for community service,” he said.

Since the building was built so long ago, fire safety codes — which would require the sprinklers — do not apply to the building, said Bruce Nelson, director of community services for the hospital.

Installing fire safety sprinklers is one of a slew of improvements center officials want, including a restroom that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, heating and air conditioning, as well as refinishing the floors and replacing the windows, he said.

“The problem is there’s been no significant maintenance on this building to speak of,” he said.

“So if you walk through it, it’s really an embarrassment.”

Putting in safety sprinklers was a key priority for the city, he added.

“You don’t want to have a building vulnerable that has lots of utilization by community people,” he said. “You really want it to be safe.”

Hospital officials have invested small amounts of money in the building — for electrical system repairs and basic maintenance — but center officials have to raise more for large-scale capital improvements, he said.

Once the hospital accepts public funds for improvements on the building, it must remain on the property for at least 10 years, he said.

 CHRIS WIEBE covers public safety and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at chris.wiebe@ latimes.com.