Stanford sweetens hospital expansion plan with $173M for Palo Alto

Stanford wants to ensure its proposed $3.5 billion hospital expansion gets a go-ahead. To make the plan harder to turn down, Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital said they would up the offer to $173 million in "community benefits" to Palo Alto to offset the effects of their growth, the San Jose Mercury-News reports. The offer is $49 million more than Stanford proposed in June.

Most of the money--$126 million--would go toward cutting potential traffic congestion. The money would also cover $10 million more for transportation management projects and $25 million more in Caltrain Go Passes for hospital staff.

The proposal would add 1.3 million square feet and accommodate more patient beds. To offset energy use due to the expansion, the hospitals plan to give $12 million to the city for programs related to climate change and sustainability. Old buildings would be upgraded to meet earthquake safety standards.

Mark Peterson, vice president of special projects for the hospital, said harsh economic times limited what the hospital could offer, but that it would continue to work with the city.

Palo Alto council members will discuss the offer on Jan. 31. The council will likely make a decision on the environmental impact report and development plan in April, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.

To learn more:
- read the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal article
- here's the San Jose Mercury-News story

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