WASHINGTON A new Omaha Veterans Affairs hospital is now on the Top 10 list.
In budget request documents released this week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a replacement Omaha facility at No. 10 on its priority list, up from No. 28 a year ago.
The documents did not include an explanation for the change, but Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., welcomed the development.
Thats a big move, Ashford said. What Im being told is, this is a commitment, more of a top-line commitment, to the project.
In a potentially more ominous change, however, the cost of the project also has risen. Its now listed as a $616 million undertaking, up 10 percent from its previous price tag of $560 million.
The same budget documents indicate demolition of the existing Omaha facility is slated for 2019.
Local VA officials referred World-Herald inquiries about this weeks budget documents and the timeline for a new facility to the departments main press office, which did not respond to requests for comment.
Ashford said Omahas rise in the priority list is positive news in the battle to get a replacement for the aging facility, which has numerous problems from plumbing to electrical wiring.
Omahas been waiting for so many years and the VA still believes that they need to have their own stand-alone hospitals, he said.
But Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., cautioned that simply moving up the priority list doesnt mean anyone is about to break ground.
The Omaha hospital has bounced up and down the priority list over the years, she noted. Meanwhile, the VA has struggled to get past a few projects in other cities that have been mired in delays and cost overruns.
We need to be honest about this and to say, Gee, were No. 10, were going to get this built, you know, well thats the ultimate goal but honestly I dont see it happening in the foreseeable future whether were 18 or 10 or whatever, Fischer said.
She met recently with local VA officials and described them as focused on ensuring that the current facility can meet the needs of area veterans.
Fischer said Omaha officials are looking at expanding the space for physical therapy services and adding more parking.
Its not clear what the change in the priority list might mean for other approaches that have been floated for improving care for veterans.
