The beleaguered Veterans Medical Center in Aurora is on track for completion in 2018, VA Secretary Robert McDonald promised Sunday, while a criminal investigation into any wrongdoing there continues.
Speaking before nearly 400 people at a United Veterans Committee of Colorado banquet, McDonald explained how the $1.68 billion project that had was doing well in meeting new deadlines for completion.
“Since we discovered errors in construction, we offered reforms,” McDonald said. “We have changed how we design, bid and construct facilities.”
He noted how the , a deal it reached in October to bring the multi-building project in line with congressional mandates to finish without further delay.
The hospital initially was to have cost about $604 million to build, but derailed the critical project.
Investigations ensued following a number of — McDonald described them as “recycled and embellished” — where investigators found wrongdoing, .
“The evidence simply doesn’t support actions against any individual still at the VA, and there is no one there now who was responsible,” McDonald said.
Those at the event included a number of prominent politicians, including U.S. Sens. , and Congressmen Mike Coffman and Ed Perlmutter, each outspoken critics of the investigation’s outcome.
“An investigation of any criminal conduct is still ongoing,” McDonald said.
He offered a number of agency progress reports since his tenure began in July 2014, including the hiring of about 6,000 nurses and 1,500 medical professionals.
Updated April 11, 2016 at 7:05 a.m. The following corrected information has been added to this article: Because of a reporting error, this story has been updated to reflect the attendance at the event and the Army Corps of Engineers’ involvement in the project.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com or @davidmigoya
