Contractor crews have started construction of the Bartlesville outpatient Veterans Affairs clinic after years of delays on the project. Though work is still in the early stages, it should be complete by the end of the year, said Jonathan Plasencia, associate director of the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System.
“(The timeline) has slid a little more than we would like, but is on track now and moving forward,” Plasencia said. “We hope to be seeing patients at the end of the calendar year or right at the start of the next one.”
The clinic will be located in the former Hastings Entertainment building, at 3005 E. Frank Phillips Blvd.
Planning for the clinic started in 2018, when funding was allocated for a Bartlesville clinic to open in 2020. In October 2020, the agency awarded the construction contract for the facility, announcing plans for it to be operational in summer 2021.
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In May 2021, Plasencia said officials were “close to giving them notice to proceed to start construction,” and the clinic’s opening was delayed to January 2022.
Most recently, the construction delays were caused by workforce shortages and supply chain problems, Plasencia said.
Currently, contractor crews have removed the external Hastings sign, painted the building and gutted the former Hastings of its internal signage, registers and shelves that remained as recently as December.
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When selecting the location for the Bartlesville clinic, officials considered several buildings, including a former church and grocery store, said Eugene…