Clermont, a San Antonio-based real estate and advisory company, has proposed to build a 42-bed, $97 million regional hospital in Elsa, Texas, according to ValleyCentral.com.
The proposed Vantage Medical Center, which would include an emergency room, marks the second time Clermont has proposed to build a hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. It previously proposed to build a hospital in Edcouch, Texas, but city leaders rejected the offer because a financial study concluded the costs were too high, according to the report.
A housing board is overseeing the recently formed Elsa Vantage Medical Center Corp., but the city of Elsa is responsible for finding the $97 million to pay for the hospital, according to the report.
Although the city of Elsa plans to move forward with the hospital plan, city officials say they will run a financial study of their own.
"We want to ensure that it's a viable project — that there's no liability to the city, absolutely no tax increases and we bring a good project to the community," said Elsa City Manager JJ Ybarra, according to the report.