ProCure Treatment Centers Inc., a cancer treatment corporation out of Bloomington, Ind., appears to be preparing to sue NIU.

ProCure has filed a verified petition for discovery with the Cook County Circuit Court. The intent of the petition is to identify “persons and entities” responsible for damages against ProCure.

NIU began construction last month on a proton therapy cancer treatment center in West Chicago.

ProCure’s petition claims that NIU, through abuse and manipulation of processes in Illinois hopes to achieve a monopoly on proton therapy in the state.

The 28-page petition makes reference to the application process with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board to build a proton therapy center. It states that NIU, through “willful

misrepresentations,” was responsible for ProCure being denied permission to build their center.

NIU was granted permission to build their center in February.

The petition is an act which NIU spokesperson Gary Mack says is one of the first steps toward action against the university.

“They’re claiming some harm,” Mack said. “It’s out belief that no harm has been done.”

“We don’t think and NIU’s research foundation center doesn’t believe that they should get [permission to build a center], and we think that it’s a bad idea to have two of these facilities six miles from each other: that’s what this dispute is about in a nutshell,” Mack said.