Cookeville Slated To Get New VA Medical Facility

Cookeville slated to get a new VA Medical Facility to facilitate growth and provide more access to veterans in the Upper Cumberland.

Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the federal Veterans Administration has been looking at this prospect for some time. He said they have been looking at six or seven locations for the 55,000-square-foot facility.

“They look at leasing these so they’ll have a contractor that will bid on this, the contractor will build the facility and the VA will lease it from them and the VA will staff it,” Porter said. “So it’s got to work through a process.”

Porter said they are looking for about seven acres to construct the facility. He said one location includes the southwest corner of the old Putnam County Fairgrounds.

Porter said the current timeline has the requests for leasing proposals will be put out this summer. He said once bids are in, they are looking at beginning the build in the first quarter of next year.

“Most of the people here have been having to drive to Murfreesboro and Nashville and so they’re looking at building a new clinic here and I think they may have some slated across the state also,” Porter said. “But I think this one is going to be dedicated to people in the Upper Cumberland so people in Cookeville and Putnam County can come without having to drive a long way.”