The new C.W. Williams Community Health Center broke ground on July 24, 2023. Photo courtesy of Melissa Key/CBJ.
Change is coming for the C.W. Williams Community Health Center. The more than 40-year-old federally qualified health-care center broke ground this morning on its new state-of-the art medical facility. The $11 million, two-story building will replace the existing health center at erected at 3333 Wilkinson Blvd. that will be demolished. The new center is scheduled for completion next summer.
The 17,700-square-foot facility will have an open floor plan, housing primary and preventative medical and dental care, pharmacy and support services. Additionally, the new center will have mental health and substance use counseling and treatment, women’s health care, pediatric care and comprehensive HIV services. Other services include traditional Chinese medicine, a food pantry and non-emergency patient transportation
The center was founded in 1981 by Dr. Charles Warren Williams, who Debra Weeks, center CEO, said had a vision to provide high-quality health care for everyone, regardless of income level. It is designated as a Mecklenburg County Public Health Priority Area and a Medically Underserved Area. The center handles more than 30,000 patient encounters representing more than 13,000 individuals each year.
The project is being funded with a combination of grants, donations and a bank loan.
“For 42 years, (we have) been a trusted community partner, and we want the community to know that we are not going anywhere,” Weeks said. “We are deeply committed to ensuring that individuals and families receive the care they deserve in a safe, clean, structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing facility.”
Carla Cunningham, North Carolina state representative of the 106th district, said the C.W. Williams center was where she took her now adult-aged daughter for her first doctor’s visit. “The memories and the legacy are already laid, and it will endure through the generations,” she said. “We knew what an impact the (Affordable Healthcare Act) would make in underserved communities in North Carolina, and I am so thankful to see this come to fruition.”
The Community Health Center has additional locations at 5800 Old Pineville Road and 800 Clanton Road. The organization signed a 12-year lease at the Old Pineville location in 2021 when it underwent a series of renovations.
Barringer Construction is the general contractor; Bartlett, Hartley & Mulkey Architects is handling architecture; and Civil & Environmental Consultants is the civil engineering firm
