Aurora – A new veterans hospital will be built on the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora. The announcement came this afternoon in Washington, where Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer and U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson signed a memorandum of understanding.
Tauer said details such as cost and timeframe are still being worked out, but he believed the hospital will be a six-story building located at the corner of Potomac and Colfax, the southeastern edge of the campus. It will occupy well over 20 acres, next to the new Children’s Hospital which is already under construction.
“Today’s agreement is very encouraging and is another positive step towards the completion of a state-of-the-art hospital that will provide Colorado veterans and those throughout the Rocky Mountain region with the first-class healthcare they deserve,” said U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, in a statement after the signing.
“This is an important and welcome step toward ensuring that Colorado veterans have the world-class medical facility they deserve,” said Rep. Diana DeGette. “With the return of Iraq war vets and increasing needs of the World War II, Korea and Vietnam vets, our new facility cannot come a moment too soon.”
Originally, the VA had planned to share space with the University of Colorado hospital at Fitzsimons. But late last year, VA officials decided they needed a free-standing hospital of their own, a move that angered CU officials and Colorado’s congressional delegation. Some had expressed concern that a large enough site could not be found at Fitzsimons.
The new hospital will replace an aging and overcrowded Department of Veterans Affairs medical center east of downtown Denver.
The project is contingent on an appraisal of private property in
the area and on an environmental assessment.
