Residents and business owners in Elk Grove, Calif., have pushed back against a proposal from California Northstate University to build a $750 million, 250-bed teaching hospital next to the college's Elk Grove campus, according to the Elk Grove Citizen.
Though city officials have not reviewed or approved plans for the hospital, the proposal would would force some local business to relocate, which has drawn the ire of their owners.
"I believed that the city encouraged and wanted small businesses. But you have said, 'That is OK until a bigger business with more money and more tax revenue comes in, and then we'll just find a place for you,'" Elizabeth Brown, co-owner of a local brewery, told the Elk Grove City Council.
Alvin Cheung, president and CEO of California Northstate Hospital, said his team would help any businesses that might have to relocate find new sites.
"We are listening to the tenants; we hear their concerns, and we are working with each of them on creating win-win options," said Mr. Cheung. "Paul Wagstaffe, the university’s general counsel, has made this his personal project, and he is going door to door to work out viable solutions."