New Savannah Veterans Administration Clinic finally on way

By Mary Carr Mayle

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a contract for its long-promised new medical clinic in Savannah to Johnson Development of Birmingham, Ala.

which will build and manage the expanded facility at 11111 Rio Road on property currently owned by Providence Presbyterian Church. As is the standard policy with VA clinics, Johnson Development will buy the property, develop it and lease it to the VA.

Derek Weaver, Johnson’s senior vice president for federal property management, said his company plans to begin the next phase immediately, with a target completion date of June 2016.

“We will be meeting with Savannah city planners in the next few weeks to go over designs,” Weaver said. “Right now, I’d say we’re looking at an April groundbreaking.”

The new clinic will replace the nearly 25-year-old, 39,000-square-foot facility off Middleground Road. While that clinic has traditionally received good reviews from veterans for medical care, the VA determined five years ago that it had become too small and offered too few services for its growing patient load.

In addition to primary care, ophthalmology, mental health care and minor surgical procedures, the facility will also include a women’s health clinic.

The property selected is within blocks of the 9-acre site on Mohawk Street originally designated for the new clinic in 2011, when the VA held a bid conference attended by more than 125 would-be developers, architects and contractors.

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