The Department of Veteran's Affairs is Seeking Expressions of Interest for Development of Our Hot Springs, SD Campus Introduction The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Black Hills Health Care System (VA BHHCS) announced to the public, in December 2011, a proposal to reconfigure the delivery of Veteran health care in its service area. The proposal was developed to enhance and maintain the quality and safety of care for Veterans in the 100,000 square mile service area, replace aging buildings for Veterans in residential rehabilitation treatment programs and community based outpatient clinics (CBOC), increase access to care closer to Veterans' homes, and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for Veterans' travel. VA is currently conducting a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analysis of the various alternatives, several of which include vacating the existing Hot Springs, SD campus. VA, if the campus is vacated, may pursue, with the proper legal authority, sale, lease, transfer, license, lease, or otherwise transferring ownership and/or operational control of some or most of the Hot Springs campus. This Request for Expressions of Interest represents an initial attempt by VA to gauge the interest level of prospective purchasers, leases, developers, or operators for some, or most, of this site. It is also one of the inputs VA may use to develop formal Requests for Proposal at a future date, depending upon the outcome of the EIS analysis and other VA management decisions. At that future date, one or more proposals may be accepted using one or more of the authorities available to VA, including: " Permit to another Federal, state, or local governmental Agency " License to other entities " Enhanced Use Lease " Section 111 (historic) Lease " In-kind swap for land / facilities in another location " Transfer to another Federal Agency, state or local governments " Transfer to a Native American Tribe Interest Parties should submit a one to three page summary which will include: 1. Organization information 2. Intended Site Use 3. Whether the interest is for the entire campus or part, if so, indicate square footage. 4. Indicate whether interest would be a lease hold or ownership 5. Potential funding source for project Responses should be no later than 7/31/2015 via email to: Jeffrey Leiken, Real Property Specialist
[email protected] Photographs of the site can be viewed at the site below: http://www.blackhills.va.gov/VABlackHillsFuture/HSsiteDescriptionfULLFINAL.pdf Exclusion(s) from transfer 1. National Cemetery Exclusion - For any of these potential disposition mechanisms, the land associated with the National Cemetery cannot, and will not, be transferred. The general outline for this land excluded from transfer is presented, in green, in Figure 2., National Cemetery Exclusion. An access agreement and/or easement will also be required to provide public access to the National Cemetery grounds; Figure 2 shows the minimum arrangement. 2.. Possible Medical Clinic Exclusion - under one or more of the Alternatives currently undergoing EIS evaluation, BHHCS would retain an area denoted in Figure 3. If an alternative is selected that includes retaining a medical clinic on the current Hot Springs campus the structures that would be retained include: Buildings 12 (the current hospital building), 53 (the nutrition and education addition), and 65 (the information technology addition), and parking lots southwest and northeast of N. 5th Street, adjacent to the clinic. Other Considerations Utilities As this campus has been operated essentially under a single "ownership" and operational control, measures would be required to either physically separate, or establish operating agreements for the various supporting utilities. Most of the buildings on campus are provided steam for heat from the central heating plant. If an alternative is chosen which includes VA BHHCS retaining and operating the medical clinic on the current Hot Springs campus, heating needs may either continue to be serviced by the central heating plant under agreement or by a separate source. The National Cemetery has no steam provided for building heating. Water is supplied by a sole source well located off-campus to the northwest. It is presumed this water system would likewise continue to supply the entire campus including the VA retained National Cemetery and, possibly, the medical clinic under agreement. Historic The campus has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Any entity to which ownership or control is transferred will be required to participate in negotiations with the consulting parties including South Dakota State Historic Preservation Officer (SD SHPO), Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPO), American Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP), and VA. The consultation will define roles and responsibilities to ensure minimization or avoidance of adverse effects to the Historic Landmark and will presumably result in an agreement document. Anticipated Timing No decision regarding ownership transfer could be finalized prior to completion of the NEPA EIS, expected in late 2015. Relocation of Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) operations could not occur until a proposed new facility is ready for occupancy, which current projections estimate would not be before mid-2017. If an alternative is selected which incorporates relocation of the clinic as well, it is currently estimated this would occur in the 2017 - 2019 timeframe. Therefore, transfer of ownership and/or operational control of the whole campus (excluding the National Cemetery) would likely not take place for approximately five years or longer. Under any of the disposition authorities, temporary, transitional arrangements thru license or lease for operational control of already vacated buildings or portions of the campus is possible. Description of Existing Campus The Hot Springs campus of VA BHHCS was established in 1902 and opened in 1907 as the Battle Mountain Sanitarium. Battle Mountain Sanitarium was constructed as a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS). The NHDVS system was a predecessor to the modern Department of Veterans Affairs. Hot Springs, SD was chosen as the site for a NHDVS largely due to the belief that the waters from mineral springs situated nearby were useful in treating musculoskeletal conditions, while the high, dry climate was believed to ease respiratory disease. The campus of approximately 71 acres occupies a bluff overlooking Fall River Canyon and the city of Hot Springs, SD. Battle Mountain, the wooded elevation for which the facility was named, rises to the east. The campus is comprised of 46 buildings, 32 of which contributed to the designation of Battle Mountain Sanitarium as a National Historic Landmark. The majority of the campus buildings were constructed from 1902 - 1930. Post 1930 construction has, for the most part, respected original material use and designs. Many of the buildings interiors have been remodeled to accommodate health care and business requirements. However, many buildings have remained in their original configurations, including multi-floor open ward environments with steep ramp entryways. Thomas Rogers Kimball designed the original buildings of Battle Mountain Sanitarium using a Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival-inspired style that also incorporated elements of the Romanesque Revival/Richardsonian Romanesque architecture so visible in the town of Hot Springs. Buildings 1 - 11 make up the domiciliary complex on the campus. All of these buildings are connected via a circular arcade. About the arcade are six radiating, 3-story ward buildings (3 - 8), an administration building (1), a service / mess hall building (2), two chapels (9 - 10) and the auditorium / call center building (11). These buildings are currently used for the VA BHHCS Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP), administration and some business office functions. Some of the wards in buildings 3 - 8 have been converted to semi - private residential space and some to administrative office space. Most wards, however, retain the original open ward floor plan and community rest rooms. Buildings 12, 53, and 65, the main hospital and two additions, are currently used as a medical center. The kitchen and dietetics functions of the medical center are in Building 53. The building 65 addition is currently used to support the data center and Information Technology needs of the facility. Inpatient acute medicine, primary care, specialty care, dialysis, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory and other support functions are currently provided in building 12. The campus has 9 quarters structures that are used primarily for staff quarters and Transitional Residence housing for Veterans. The campus has several other support buildings on campus including a fire/police station and boiler plant. The Hot Springs National Cemetery lies within the campus. The cemetery has been closed for new burials since 1964. Access to the national cemetery is gained through the medical center campus. The "Grand Staircase" connects the medical center campus with the community of Hot Springs.