Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sloan Gibson informed the Colorado Congressional delegation on a call today that the new estimate for the Aurora VA hospital is $1.73 billion, based on work done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Army Corps came in to take over completion of the hospital after the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals in December ruled the VA in material breach of their contract with Kiewit-Turner (KT), the construction company building the hospital. In order to avoid a total shut down of the project, with KT walking off the project, an interim agreement between KT and VA was negotiated, that included bringing the Army Corps in to finish the project.
“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,” said U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-Aurora). “However, as much as I’m angered by the mismanagement of this project, as a combat veteran serving in Congress I still have an obligation to see that this project is completed and that everything that can be done will be done to bring down the cost,” said Coffman.
Coffman has introduced legislation that will increase the $880 million cap on the hospital, which is expected to be reached by the middle of next month. Coffman’s bill also fires the VA from further management of the project and formally installs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish the hospital.
