Visalia, Calif.-based Kaweah Health is planning to replace one of its hospital's wings with a nine-story, $500 million facility, Visalia Times Delta reported April 20.
The building would add 240 rooms at twice the space of the current aging wing. It will have a pharmacy, cafeteria and basement.
The project won over other proposals because it is about $150 million cheaper than the other plans would have been. One of the proposals included two shorter towers.
"Aesthetically, I prefer [two towers], but it's hard to argue with a $150 million savings. ... The public was loud and clear about preferring a single, cheaper tower," David Francis, Kaweah Delta Health Care District Board president, told the paper. "The board agreed to move forward with planning the new wing, but no construction has been approved."
The hospital will likely use a tax measure to cover the finances of the project, according to the report.