RadNet to Open Center on Grounds of Former Historic Library

Corona Advanced Imaging is happy to announce a new center will be opening in downtown Corona this upcoming Winter. The new center will be a part of the Carnegie Medical Plaza, which will house several medical practices and is located next to our current Corona Advanced Imaging on 9th Street. The Corona Chamber of Commerce hopes that the new building will be the first step in revitalizing the downtown area.

History of the Carnegie Medical Plaza Location

The site of the Carnegie Medical Plaza has some history. From 1906 to 1971, the Carnegie Library sat on the grounds. In 1893, Dr. Flora Gleason, a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, established a reading room in downtown Corona. By 1900, the reading room, which had become a library, was moved to the First National Bank Building and a library board of trustees was elected. They decided a larger library was needed.

In 1905 the board of trustees received a 10 thousand dollar grant from the Carnegie Foundation. Architect F.P. Burnham was hired to design the new library and S. L. Bloom was hired to build. The library was finished and dedicated in July 1906, serving the city’s 2,200 residents. The Carnegie Library continued to hold over 53,000 books until 1971.

To keep up with Corona’s growing population, a new library was constructed at the corner of Main and Sixth Streets in 1971. Soon after, the Carnegie Library was boarded up and stood empty until 1978, when it was finally demolished. A heritage room commemorating the old library was added to the new library.

Carnegie Medical Plaza Future

The Corona Advanced Imaging team with Dr. Houman and his wife at the Groundbreaking of the Carnegie Medical Plaza

Since 1978, the site of the Carnegie Library has stood empty, waiting for a new opportunity to help the Corona community. The historic location will soon be the site of the new Carnegie Medical Plaza, named after the famous library. RadNet and Corona Advanced Imaging are excited to be part of the rich history of the area and look forward to serving Corona for years to come.