Months after rejection, council OKs North Liberty hospital

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state council has approved a plan by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to build a $230 million hospital complex in North Liberty, months after first rejected it. The Health Facilities Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to allow the health system to build a $230 million hospital complex the system argues it desperately needed to relieve pressure at its other facilities. The approval came over the objections of dozens of opponents who said the planned 300,000-square-foot, four-story, 48-bed hospital will run community hospitals in the area out of business. Tuesday’s vote was made without comment after more than seven hours of public comment.