VA reopens bidding for clinic in northwestern suburbs

Two months after the application process closed, the VA is reopening bidding for a new clinic in the northwestern suburbs, with new boundaries that exclude two key cities.

By PAUL LEVY, Star Tribune

Last update: November 13, 2009 - 8:43 PM

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The Veterans Administration will choose Elk River or Ramsey to house its new clinic, eliminating Anoka and Coon Rapids while baffling officials by apparently reopening the bidding.

Two months after closing the application process for a proposed veterans clinic to serve the northwestern suburbs, the VA contracting officer stunned officials and developers in Anoka and Sherburne counties this week by quietly seeking "expressions of interest" through Monday, according to a Federal Business Opportunities posting.

Revised boundaries no longer include Anoka or Coon Rapids. Those cities represent, respectively, the county seat and the largest city in Anoka County, home to 26,500 veterans, the group the clinic is primarily being built to serve.

Further clouding the selection process are rejection letters, dated Oct. 22 and received by developers and city officials in Anoka and Coon Rapids just days ago. One developer told the Star Tribune no reason for rejection was given.

Ramsey developer Jim Deal said he was excited about two of his Ramsey sites making the cut but he was confused about the rejection of three others. Mayor Bob Ramsey said one Ramsey Town Center site is in the running, "but I'm not clear why one was eliminated."

"All of this -- the renewed bidding process, the boundaries that exclude us -- it's all news to us," said Bob Kirchner, Anoka community development director. "Nothing was explained to us."

Thirty-minute radius

Lee Wiech, VA contracting officer, has not returned phone calls throughout the application process. But through e-mails from VA spokesman Ralph Heussner, the VA emphasized that its goal for the new Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) is to serve veterans living in rural areas not served within 30 minutes of a VA medical facility.

The VA says Coon Rapids and Anoka are within 30 minutes of the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis and the CBOC in Maplewood -- prompting the change in the delineated area two months after bidding ended Sept. 15.

"Driving from Anoka to the [Minneapolis] VA hospital in 30 minutes? Not in traffic, or if you pay attention to the speed limit," said Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart.

The federal business notice seeking expressions of interest was posted at 6:51 p.m. Tuesday, after government and business hours and the day before the Veterans Day federal holiday. It reads: "The Department of Veterans Affairs seeks expressions of interest for 19,955 net usable square feet of space for use as a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the Ramsey, Elk River area of Minnesota."

Elk River, in Sherburne County, was identified as the likely home for the clinic five years ago. The city was praised in a letter to top Veterans Affairs officials by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann last year. But City Administrator Lori Johnson said she heard through contractors that two potential Elk River sites, near the train depot, were eliminated. She said that officials "believe" the VA is still considering Elk River, but that the city has not been contacted by VA officials.

Neither has Ramsey, said its mayor. The city was endorsed this year by the Anoka County Board. Later, so was the city of Anoka.

Wiech said last month he expects the new clinic to open next year.

"It's possible," said developer Deal, owner of PSD LLC in Ramsey. "We could break ground in March and have a new building completed and opened in November. But you need the paperwork for that, and that takes time. Right now, we don't know what the VA's timetable is."

Paul Levy • 612-673-4419

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