BRISTOL, Va. -

The future of a proposed medical school is in jeopardy after the projects biggest benefactor puts a freeze on funds.

The Virginia Tobacco Commission voted Thursday to suspend payment of $1,000,000 given to the King School of Medicine for development.

"We want to see some progress being made. Three years and we haven't seen some hard evidence that this is actually going to go forward," said commission er Senator Bill Carrico.

$40,000,000 is pledged to the project. An additional $24,000,000 from the Tobacco Commission and $7.5 million from both Washington County, Virginia and the town of Abingdon.

School developers only need to come up with $10 million, but so far have nothing.

"It raises a lot of red flags," said Washington County Supervisor Bill Gibson."I've never been opposed to the King School of Medicine concept, but I am opposed to the tax dollars of Washington county and Abingdon citizens paying the bill."

The school's interim president Tariq Zaidi tells News 5 he's not concerned.

"We believe that as we go into the 4th quarter of this year we will be able to make some significant announcements regarding partnerships and some other goals we've set,"said Zaidi.

Senator Carrico and others say time's up.

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Proposed medical school in jeopardy