A new state-of-the art Neighborhood Clinic is headed to Santa Barbara’s Westside.
“We are building more than a clinic,” said Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian, CEO, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, in a statement. “We are building a sustainable model for community health—one that removes barriers and ensures that care is there when people need it most. From a medical perspective, rising tides do lift all boats and so caring for each individual means an overall healthy community.”
The organization broke ground on the project a week ago. The facility will provide expanded medical services to more than 8,300 local children, adults and seniors annually, according to a news release.
The three-story medical building is expected to be completed in September of 2026. The new facility will allow the number of patients served by all of its neighborhood clinics to increase by 25 percent, from 20,000 to 25,000.
“The new clinic includes medical, behavioral health and dental services all under one roof,” Ashrafian said. “In this way, the facility embodies SBNC’s goal of providing care for the whole person in one location. This makes our care more accessible to our patients.”
The Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and dental offices serve more than 18,000 people annually, or approximately 1 in 10 people in the Santa Barbara community. Of these patients, 92% are low-income and 23% are children and adolescents.
The new clinic will be at 621 W. Mitcheltorena. The previous two-story, 10,454-square-foot clinic was demolished to make way for the new building.
“The neighborhood clinic has been a vital partner on the Westside for decades,” said City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez. “Building a three-story, state-of-the-art facility will be paramount for the health and wellness of our community. We are grateful for the clinic’s dedication to our district.”
The clinic in 2023 received an appeal from the owners of a nearby gas station who raised concerns about the parking. In their challenge, the appellants said people would park at the gas station and cross the street to the clinic, which they said has happened often in the past.
Architect Brian Cearnal designed the project.
The City Council denied the appeal, however, and supported the project.
The clinic has multiple locations in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista.
