Come winter 2013, West Philly parents will be able to bring their children to the new $30M, 52K sqft state-of-the-art Nicholas and Athena Karabots Primary Care Center on the 4800 block of Market St. CHOP broke ground at the site about a month ago.

The site

See the El?

Part of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) series of primary care facilities throughout the Delaware Valley, and located on four acres north of the El tracks, the new structure will contain fifty-six child-friendly examination rooms. Along with rooms dedicated to radiology, hearing and vision testing and a phlebotomy laboratory, the Center will also provide community outreach programs for its estimated 45K+ patients.

Rendering from CHOP

Rendering from CHOP

Designed by Brawer & Hauptman, the center will allow CHOP to better serve the residents of West Philadelphia. George Bochanski, director of PR for CHOP, said the main hospital is more of an intensive care unit for the sickest of the sick, kids with serious cancers and life-threatening heart conditions. On the other hand, CHOP’s primary care centers are a place where families can receive pediatric care for less severe illnesses and necessary well visits. The new building will serve the populations who currently visit the two centers located at 39th and Chestnut Sts. and 3550 Market St.

The Karabots, who also recently gave $10M to fund the Franklin Institute’s expansion, have been very busy lately, helping make Philadelphia a better place. CHOP meanwhile, is embarking on another major development project, though a much smaller one than the future facility on Schuylkill Ave. near the South Street Bridge. We imagine that the new primary care facility will be a wonderful new resource for the surrounding community and applaud CHOP for improving access to health care for the children of Philadelphia.

–Lou Mancinelli