Lease approved for lodge housing Mississippi cancer patients

JACKSON — The University of Mississippi Medical Center is moving ahead with plans to lease land for cancer patient housing.

The American Cancer Society plans to build a $10 million Hope Lodge on the site, across the street from the medical center's main hospital, near Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The medical center will lease the parcel for up to 60 years at $50 a year, under an agreement approved Thursday by College Board trustees.

Renderings show a three-story building to temporarily house adult cancer patients living more than 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Jackson. Each patient must be accompanied by a caregiver.

Documents submitted to trustees state the American Cancer Society has 31 lodges, and that Jackson is ranked first nationwide for patients who travel long distances for treatment.