Scripps Health is building a new medical center campus in San Marcos, following through on a 35-year-old plan. Why it matters: The plan is to open two hospital facilities for outpatient and acute care on the 13-acre property that will serve the city's growing population and propel San Marcos toward becoming a health care hub.

Thirty-five years after setting its sights on San Marcos, Scripps Health announced Monday that it will soon break ground on a medical campus within walking distance of a competitor, Kaiser Permanente San Marcos Medical Center.

According to a press release, the Scripps San Marcos Medical Center campus will be located on a 13-acre site south of State Route 78, near Twin Oaks Valley Parkway. The project's first phase is a comprehensive ambulatory care facility, while phase two will be the acute care hospital.