NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY: Draft Environmental Assessment Department of Veterans Affairs Enhanced-Use Lease Project

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with VA’s Proposed Action to enter into an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) agreement with a private entity (Lessee) to grant the rights to finance, design, rehabilitate, operate and maintain the EUL property for adaptive reuse that will directly or indirectly support veteran programs on the Zablocki VAMC campus. 

The Proposed Action site is comprised of three separate noncontiguous and developed parcels located within the north side of the Zablocki VAMC campus, and identified as the Ward Hall (Building 41), Soldiers Home Chapel (Building 12), and Governor’s Mansion (Building 39).  All three parcels have dilapidated and/or vacant historic structures.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to revitalize these VA assets to provide dynamic spaces that will encourage and engage diverse communities of Veterans and their families to interact.  This will provide space for veteran outreach programs, to include case management, job training and employment assistance. 

VA prepared the Draft EA according to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S. Code § 4321 et seq.).

The Draft EA is available at the VAMHCS website (https://www.va.gov/milwaukee-health-care/news-releases/). A hard copy of the Draft EA is available at the West Allis Public Library (7421 W. National Ave, West Allis, WI).

Please submit any requests for additional information, questions, or comments on the Draft EA via email to the Milwaukee VA Public Affairs office at vhamiwpublicaffairs@va.gov with the subject line “Milwaukee EUL” within 30 days following publication of this notice. VA will summarize and address substantive comments in the Final EA.