ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- After years of waiting, veterans in St. Johns County could soon have a new place to go for care.
"I didn't think it would ever happen," said Bill Dudley with the Veterans Council of St. John's County. "It does mean a lot to the veterans."
The property where the St. Augustine Community Based Outpatient Clinic sits on belongs to Lowe's, but the Department of Veterans Affairs hasn't left the facility.
That means tens of thousands of dollars a month in fines and fees for taxpayers, and a whole lot of uncertainty for veterans in search of medical care.
"What's going to happen to my CBOC, am I going to have healthcare? That's a lot of pressure," said Dudley.
Three weeks ago, assistant county administrator Jerry Cameron testified at inquiries led by Florida Congressman Ron DeSantis. After the testimony, the VA decided to move forward -- after a wait that lasted four years.
"It's a breath of fresh air," said Cameron.
In a statement to First Coast News, Thomas Wisnieski with the agency said, "We are very pleased that the VA has a way to move forward with a way to build a permanent clinic in St. Johns County."
He says a temporary facility is being built in the county. That will be up and running by September, he says, when the lease for the current facility runs out.
