Los Angeles County just opened a $43 million mental health and crisis-care campus in the Antelope Valley, a project delivered under budget by PENTA Building Group and design partner Carrier Johnson + Culture.
The design-build project in the city of Lancaster was completed at approximately 20 percent below its original budget and employed a construction workforce that included approximately 45 percent local workers.
Los Angeles County photo
Los Angeles County Public Works served as the lead agency, working with the county's Departments of Mental Health and Health Services. The campus consolidates multiple behavioral health programs in one location, expanding access to services for residents in north Los Angeles County and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for care.
The campus consists of two one-story buildings that house three programs: an Adult Crisis Residential Treatment Program, a Children's and Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit and a Mental Health Hub serving children and youth. The facilities represent the county's first fully integrated continuum of mental health treatment for children, youth and adults.
The Beginning
Construction began in October 2024. Project costs included approximately $21.4 million for the Crisis Residential Treatment Program, $10.8 million for the Crisis Stabilization Unit and $10.8 million for the Mental Health Hub.
The two 9,900-sq.-ft. buildings were constructed on four acres of previously vacant land on the northeast side of the High Desert Regional Health Center campus. One building houses the adult crisis residential program, while the second contains the crisis stabilization unit and mental health hub.
HMC Architects served as the scoping architect, with Carrier Johnson responsible for building design.
"The project construction had a 12-month deadline," said Steven Kiss, director of civic, Carrier Johnson + Culture. "This meant that design and construction had to be aligned very early so that long lead items could be procured. The project was also able to obtain building permits within four months from contract execution. The design team focused on permit-related items and comments while working with the Construction team on details and installation issues."
The buildings feature sloped roof elements at entry canopies, roof overhangs to reduce heat gain and exterior insulated finish systems. Interior layouts were designed to balance patient safety with efficient staff workflows, while compressed building heights helped reduce construction and long-term maintenance costs.
Costs in Check
PENTA Project Manager Edgar Gonzalez explained how the project was delivered 20 percent under budget.
"[That happened by] working with our subcontractors on constructability of the project while design was being finalized to find installations that would save cost and time," he said, "[and by] having all the MEP subs involved in BIM coordination to locate all overhead and underground systems to minimize any rework."
PENTA said it overcame several hurdles on the project.
"The biggest challenge faced during the project was coordinating installation of a new transformer for the site that would be used to feed the new buildings, but also an existing building on campus," Gonzalez said. "Coordination with the utility company began in late 2024, with an install date for August 2025 set. The team worked to make sure all infrastructure was installed weeks prior to install so the utility company could inspect and approve prior to the transformer install."
"Another challenge faced was installing all the MEP systems in a ceiling space that was only 1-foot high," he added. "This involved coordinating with the MEP subcontractors and ceiling contractor to ensure all ducts, pipes and cables had their location set prior to installation. This helped mitigate rework in areas where ceiling widths were constricted by rerouting MEP systems that had more flexibility and keeping the rigid items in place. In the end, only one water line had to be moved during installation due to the detailed preplanning that took place."
Excavating the Past
The first step was to excavate the 4-acre site and prepare it for the foundation pouring of the two structures.
"During this construction, the entire lot was prepared by the previous team as they found remnants of the existing neighborhood that used to be on that lot," Gonzalez said. "The team removed swimming pools that were filled with dirt and left the entire lot ready for the future when the project wrapped up in 2020. When we were awarded this current project, we had prior knowledge of where all the existing utilities were located, so we were able to avoid any issues with moving utilities and had no challenges during foundation work."
Scrapers and graders were used during the initial grading of the site, along with a wheel loader. After grading, the project had multiple telehandlers on site to assist with framing and moving materials around the job site, a large Hitachi excavator was used during the installation of the underground water detention system for excavation. Smaller excavators and backhoe loaders were used during the installation of utilities with walk-behind compactors and plate compactors.
The next step was to pour the foundations for the new buildings, which proceeded smoothly.
"The roof system itself consists of a single-ply system over mechanically fastened insulation sloped to roof drains," Gonzalez said. "The walls were all ground framed and set in place with the use of a telehandler working from east to west on each building. … The HVAC system is a VRF system with compressor units located on the roof and FCU located in staff-occupied rooms to keep noise to a minimum in client areas."
Although the project did not pursue LEED certification, the campus incorporates multiple sustainable features, including photovoltaic panels, high-performance insulation, stormwater storage systems, electric vehicle parking, shaded parking areas, secure bicycle parking and drought-tolerant landscaping.
The county also integrated arts and healing elements throughout the campus, commissioning 24 artworks by eight Los Angeles-based artists to enhance the therapeutic environment.
Hospital Impact
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the campus will provide alternatives to emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalization by offering crisis care closer to home for Antelope Valley residents.
"These new facilities are a game-changer for the Antelope Valley," said L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. "For the first time, children, families and adults experiencing a mental health crisis won't have to leave their community to find help. This campus provides meaningful alternatives to unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and it will help ensure that individuals struggling with mental illness are stabilized, supported and kept off the streets."
Funding included $39.7 million from the state's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and $3.3 million from Mental Health Services Act Capital Facilities funds, county officials said.
The Mental Health Hub expands services previously provided at the nearby High Desert Regional Health Center and focuses on children involved in the foster care and child welfare systems. The expansion increases annual service capacity from about 850 youth to more than 2,650.
The Adult Crisis Residential Treatment Program provides short-term, intensive care for individuals discharged from county hospital psychiatric emergency services, inpatient psychiatric units and urgent care centers. The program includes 16 beds. The Crisis Stabilization Unit offers an alternative to emergency rooms and hospitalization for children and youth experiencing mental health crises and is a new resource for the county's Service Area 1 region. CEG
