Drew Is No More

The former Drew Health Foundation Inc. facility which served as a medical and dental clinic is no more. In the middle of June, the facility located at 2111 University Avenue in East Palo Alto was torn down.

Sobrato, the owner of the property, seeks to construct an eight-story office building and has had an active application with the City of East Palo Alto since August 2016.

The facility served as a health center from 1968 until 2001 when the loss of federal funding due to management and funding issues forced it to close.

It subsequently served as home for several non-profits and businesses until it was bought first by Carrasco and Byrd, later by TMG and subsequently by Sobrato. Tenants at the facility have included Drew Pharmacy, East Palo Alto Community Media, GAM Enterprises, several tax preparation companies including Rosemary Taxes, the Stanford Law Project, and Community Legal Services.

Sobrato Real Estate is a large real estate company which owns more than 75 commercial properties in Silicon Valley and hundreds of acres of land throughout Santa Clara and Alameda according to its website. There is no mention of any ownership in San Mateo County.

The company has developed more than 15 million square feet of office and Research and Development space. The company currently owns 7.5 million square feet in commercial space and 30 apartment communities totaling 6,700 units along the West Coast. DREW HEALTH FOUNDATION INC. HISTORY: 1967 The East Palo Alto-East Menlo Park Neighborhood Health Center (EPAEMPNHC) is established with initial funding from the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity. Its goal was to provide comprehensive outpatient medical and dental services to residents of East Palo Palo Alto and the Belle Haven community, then referred to as East Menlo Park. 1968 EPA-EMPNHC is incorporated as a non-profit with a 15-member board of directors. 1974 The name is changed to the Charles R. Drew Health Center in honor of the late Dr. Charles R. Drew, an eminent Black Surgeon. 1982 The name was changed again to Drew Health Foundation, Inc. 2001 The medical and dental clinics close due to loss of funding.