As construction on the new $947 million Western State Hospital Facility continues in Lakewood, the state Department of Social and Health Services gave an update to the Lakewood City Council on April 13, which included renderings of the building and an update on security protocols in light of a recent escape from the current facility.
The new 350-bed forensic hospital will serve patients who need mental health restoration treatment as part of their criminal-court orders. Although 13 buildings at the 9601 Steilacoom Blvd. SW campus were demolished to make way for the new hospital facility, a majority of the existing hospital structures will remain, according to DSHS. The new hospital is expected to open by August 2028.
David Chipchase, quality manager of Western State Hospital, told the Lakewood City Council that not only is this the single largest construction project in the history of Lakewood, it’s “the largest project in all the state of Washington monetarily, minus road construction.”…