Rob and Deborah Petrie, who own a hotel and restaurant in Sitka, Alaska, expressed interest in purchasing Sitka (Alaska) Community Hospital, according to KTOO Public Media.
Mr. Petrie said the couple plans to present their offer to members of the Sitka General Assembly July 25, pending a tour of the facility and an analysis of the hospital's financial statements, according to the report.
The couple reportedly maintains a "modest portfolio" of business operations in Fort Worth, Texas, including car dealerships, storage facilities and several physicians' offices, which they lease to hospitals.
If the assembly approves the sale, Mr. Petrie said he would hire a management company or private entity to run the hospital. He also told KTOO he would consider a buyback program where the city would lease the hospital and maintain its nonprofit status.
The announcement comes two weeks before the assembly is poised to consider a competing offer from Juneau-based SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.
In May, SEARHC offered to purchase the hospital for $6.5 million upfront and $600,000 each year in exchange for a five-year lease of the building, according to the report. The organization previously had a merger agreement with Sitka Community Hospital in place, but the Sitka Community Hospital board nixed plans to combine operations last month.
Though the couple did not draft a formal proposal, they said they would be willing to pay "a little more" than SEARHC, the report states.
The hospital board and administration declined to comment on the couple's interest in the facility, KTOO reports.
Representatives from Sitka Community Hospital are scheduled to meet with assembly members during a special meeting July 13.