The Mobile City Council could approve an agreement today that would provide the University of South Alabama’s Whiddon College of Medicine with $10 million over the next ten years for its new medical school facility.

“We do believe this is an investment in Mobile’s future, but we also believe this is an opportunity for us, just like the city fathers did 50 years ago, to see how this would benefit not only the city of Mobile and Mobile County, but really the entire Gulf Coast region,” Jo Bonner, president of the University of South Alabama, said Monday.

The agreement, proposed by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s office, would have the city giving the university $1 million a year for the next ten years, ending in 2033. The new medical school is expected to be completed in 2026.

The city council has the final say. While most members of the city council were supportive of the measure, one member was critical, arguing the money would be better spent revitalizing the city’s underserved neighborhoods and particularly adding to the city’s affordable housing stock.

“The thing with me is, it’s hard for me to give any entity $10 million over ten years when we need to revitalize our neighborhoods,” Councilmember William Carroll, who represents downtown Mobile, said. “I don’t mind supporting [University of] South Alabama, but we need to serve the people. If we put $10 million over ten years into Lower MLK, the Campground or Maysville, what would it look like?”