ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A dispute between Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara has intensified over the potential sale of the former Rockford Memorial Hospital.
Bea accused the city of racial bias in handling the sale of the hospital's Rockton Avenue campus, claiming that the city's leadership was not supporting the investment efforts of a black entrepreneur.
“Now, when a black entrepreneur has stepped forward to invest in this property, the mayor has chosen not to support the effort but instead to undermine it. This is more than just shortsighted — it reflects a racially biased double standard," Bea said in a statement released Wednesday.
Bea's statement followed Mayor McNamara's remarks on Tuesday, urging Mercyhealth to thoroughly vet potential buyers.
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