Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar and Representatives John Salazar and Ed Perlmutter announced that they secured $61.3 million for Fitzsimons VA Hospital in the omnibus spending bill that is expected to pass the House today and is expected to pass Senate as early as tomorrow. The funding will allow construction to begin on the parking structure and the energy plant.
“The new Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) will be a state of the art facility with the capabilities of meeting our veterans’ needs. The Fitzsimmons campus in Aurora will be the hub of health care in Colorado . I am pleased we were in a position to help this project and ensure our veterans receive the highest quality medical care in this new facility,” said Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07).
“This funding brings Fitzsimons one step closer to becoming a state-of-the-art hospital that provides cutting-edge health care to thousands of veterans in Colorado . Our veterans deserve the best health care facilities we can provide and I am glad that we were able to help get this important funding across the finish line to help make it a reality,” said Senator Salazar.
“Coupled with University Hospital and the University of Colorado medical school, the new V.A. Medical Center and the entire Fitzsimmons campus are fast becoming the Nation’s premier location for medical services. I’m proud that we’re able to move this project forward for my fellow veterans and all Coloradans,” said Rep. John Salazar (CO-03).
The omnibus also includes language authored by Senators Allard and Salazar that would allow the City of Aurora to transfer a parcel of land to the Veterans’ Administration (VA) as a part of the Fitzsimons Hospital campus. In 1995, as a consequence of BRAC, the swimming pool on the Fitzsimons campus was deeded to the City of Aurora under a public benefit conveyance from the Department of Interior. The VA, in agreement with the City of Aurora , is seeking language that would permit the direct transfer of the land from the City to the VA.
In May, 2004 the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) commission submitted to Congress a report assessing VA infrastructure priorities which identified Fitzsimons VA Hospital as one of its top medical construction priorities. In February 2006 after experiencing significant difficulties in moving the proposed project forward, the VA finally reached an agreement with the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority on the purchase price of 24 of 31 acres at the site.
