Franciscan Health System is planning to open “Franciscan Medical Clinic Westwood” on Dec. 2, 2013 at 2511 S.W. Trenton St. on Westwood Village property in between Staples and Massage Envy in what used to be a state and private liquor store space.

Howard S. Wright Construction is gutting the space and building it back up with 14 exam rooms in what Construction Manager John Hansen called a 10-week “fast track” project that should be complete in early November.

Franciscan Regional Administrator Vickie Jimenez said the space will have exam rooms on east and west facing walls while the center of the space will include labs, bathrooms and medical assistant workstations.

She said the goal of this clinic is primary care, but they do have larger exam rooms that might be used for specialty rotations in the future (like a cardiologist, for example), although no decisions have been made at this time.

With this new clinic opening up, Jimenez said Franciscan will close their Roxbury Clinic (9635 17th Ave. S.W.) and move existing staff to the new building. They plan to close the Roxbury Clinic over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 30) and reopen at the new location on Dec. 2.

She said the move was prompted by Franciscan’s desire to serve a broader area.

"Our overall goal is to improve the health of our community; that is our focus,” Jimemez said in an earlier interview. “Part of the reason we like this space is it still close to our White Center patients, but it also gives us a location that serves Arbor Heights and other parts of West Seattle as well.”

Franciscan is the new name of clinics formerly known under the Highline Medical Group name, as the two forged an alliance in April of 2013. They also operate a primary/prompt care facility in the Fauntleroy Triangle.