CLIVE, Iowa — Some neighbors are speaking out against plans to build a 100-bed psychiatric hospital in a Des Moines suburb.
Mercy Medical Center officials announced last month that they’re working with a national company on the $31 million project in Clive.
Safety was chief among concerns shared at a meeting Tuesday night with Mercy and Clive officials. Mercy officials say the facility would be run safely, with security cameras and locked doors.
Some residents asked why Mercy couldn’t add a psychiatric wing to its West Des Moines hospital, which has empty space, instead of building a new facility in a residential area. Mercy officials say they have other plans for that space but didn’t elaborate.
Mayor Scott Cirksena says Clive welcomes efforts to improve people’s health and that mental health is no exception.
