The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selected a new site for its approximately $925 million replacement hospital in Louisville, Ky., according to the Insider Louisville.
On Friday, VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, signed off on the location — 35 acres on the east side of Louisville — ending more than a decade of reviews and debate over the controversial site.
The federal government purchased the vacant land east of Louisville for the project five years ago, but fierce opposition stalled the project. Neighbors raised concerns over traffic congestion, while some city lawmakers and elected officials argued that alternative sites would better serve veterans.
Although Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer wrote a letter to the VA voicing his concerns over the agency's preferred site in 2016, he is now saying it is time to move forward with the selected site, according to the report.
"The project has been going on for over 10 years," Mr. Fischer told the Insider Louisville. "The veterans, the VA need a new location."
Now that the location is finalized, the new 104-bed, $925 million project, will enter the design phase. A construction timeline has yet to be released. The new hospital will replace the outdated Louisville-based Robley Rex VA Medical Center, which opened in 1950.