AURORA | The construction of the Aurora Veterans Affairs hospital will cost $1.73 billion to complete, according to an estimate given by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Members of Congress learned about the new cost during a phone call with VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson Tuesday, said Aurora Congressman Mike Coffman in a statement following the release.
“The VA couldn’t lead starving troops to a chow hall when it comes to managing a construction project. The VA’s mismanagement of this project is beyond belief and brings into question the competence of their leadership at every level,” he said in the statement.
Coffman has introduced legislation that will increase the hospital’s $880 million cap, which he said would be reached by the middle of April to the new cost estimate. The bill which also permanently removes the VA from managing the project and installs the Army Corps of Engineers in the department’s place, is scheduled to be heard by the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations March 19.
U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Lakewood, who is part of the Colorado delegation sponsoring Coffman’s bill, said he will work with Congress to ensure the hospital is funded and completed by 2017.
“I don’t think anybody is happy about the number we got today. It took my breath away,” he said. “Our veterans deserve to get this thing finished, and I’m working toward that end.”
He said once the bill is authorized by Congress and goes through appropriations, more money will likely need to be taken from other VA projects to fund the hospital.
In a letter sent to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs March 12, VA Secretary Robert McDonald said the VA plans to take $43.3 million from three other construction projects to keep construction going until May.
Reprogramming would not come without controversy as it would cause a slowdown on the start dates for other VA major construction projects across the country that haven’t broken ground yet, according to Coffman.
Work on the 184-bed hospital being built in Aurora was halted in December because of a contract dispute with contractor Kiewit-Turner. Following the contractor walking off the job, a temporary agreement was made with the VA agreeing to pay $234 million, including $157 million it owed Kiewit-Turner and subcontractors. Part of that agreement included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managing the completion of the hospital.
And now they’re running healthcare, nice. I called my doctor, haven’t seen him for nearly a year, was told it was a ‘two month’ wait, wonder why?
I can never understand why our government puts out a bid for something and then somewhere down the road, the cost doubles and no one seems concerned or even interested. So, since the VA did such a poor job, we’ll turn it over to a different, incompetent, corrupt government agency! Sure, that works!
And you better believe not one corrupt politician or contractor will be held responsible and you better believe that you the taxpayer will pay for this corruption…but don’t worry about it you’re on your smartphone right now. It’s what you voted for.