Site near Monroeville Mall eyed for new $91 million VA outpatient clinic

Veterans in the eastern suburbs could soon have easier access to health care.

Milwaukee-based Summit Smith Development was recently awarded a contract to develop a 64,000-square-foot outpatient clinic near the Monroeville Mall for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

JLL, the real estate firm that brokered the deal, said in a press release that construction is expected to begin later this year on the 6.5-acre site, with most of the project completed by 2023 and occupancy coming in early 2024.

Sean Roberts, vice president of Summit Smith Development, said he lived in Monroeville for a time and is excited for the opportunities it means for the area.

He said the site was chosen because of its proximity to amenities offered through the Monroeville Mall and the municipality’s access to major thoroughfares.

“It’s part of the VA’s nationwide push to allow veterans to get primary care away from the main medical centers to increase access to the region’s veterans,” Roberts said, adding the site will likely mean the hiring of a robust staff.

“It will be a good workplace to attract and attain employees,” he said. “So it’s definitely going to help as an economic boost to local economy.”

Summit Smith’s website shows the development firm has eight other VA outpatient clinics across six states.

According to bidding information through the General Service Administration’s website, the project’s budget amounts to $91 million. JLL said in a news release the clinic will be “state-of-the-art.” It will provide veterans access to primary and specialty outpatient services and house several VA departments such as primary care, physical therapy, an eye clinic and a specialty clinic.

Monroeville Deputy Mayor Greg Erosenko, who retired from the VA in 2000, said Monroeville – and Western Pennsylvania in general – is among the top five areas in the nation with the densest population of veterans in the country.

“It’s still extremely high. But at one point we were number one in Pennsylvania, but now most veterans are moving down to Florida,” he said.

Erosenko said the municipality has been courting the VA for around nine months for an outpatient clinic. He said the former Toys R Us site – where Burlington Coat Factory is now – was a possibility for a while.

“So we’re really tickled they’re willing to come out this way,” he said. “There are a lot of old-timers, older guys, who don’t want to go to Oakland and the HJ Heinz Center.

“It’s for our veterans. And the local economy will do better. They’ll come in, eat at our restaurants and shop at our various stores maybe. It won’t be major, but it will certainly bring revenue in to our businesses and municipality.”

JLL said it worked closely with CBL Properties, owner of the Monroeville Mall and the Westmoreland Mall, to find a location near the shopping center. The Chattanooga, Tenn.-based firm filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors last year after months of losses during the covid-19 pandemic.

CBL deferred a reporter’s questions to Summit Smith Development.

Paul Whealdon, a Monroeville zoning officer, said the developers have said the property will be fully taxable because the VA will be tenants in the building.

He said Summit Smith has not applied for any types of permits yet, but that CBL applied for a parking variance last week.

“CBL has to reduce the required amount of parking in order to fit this in. So that has to happen before the VA can move in,” he said, adding the municipality’s zoning hearing board is expected to discuss the variance at its June 2 meeting.