Marking a sea change in mission, what once was a liquor store will now become a medical clinic.

The Franciscan Health System is planning to open “Franciscan Medical Clinic Westwood” at 2511 S.W. Trenton St. in the Westwood Village shopping center, with tentative plans to open late this year.

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.

The new location is located between Staples and Massage Envy at Westwood (the former home of both state and private liquor stores), and Franciscan Regional Administrator Vickie Jimenez said they will be closing the Roxbury Clinic (9635 17th Ave. S.W.) once the new space is ready for patients. Providers currently operating at Roxbury will be moving to Westwood.

Jimenez said Howard S. Wright Construction is already working on the new space that will include 14 exam rooms and a configuration that may allow them to bring in additional patient services, although no decisions have been made on that yet.

Jimenez said the move was prompted by a desire to expand Franciscan’s service area.

“Our overall goal is to improve the health of our community; that is our focus,” Jimemez said. “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.”

Westwood Village has become a more significant transit hub for King County Metro in the past year, meaning better access to the shopping center for certain neighborhoods than they’ve had in the past.