Bakersfield Vet Center Relocation

The Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting a sources sought notice to lease clinical space for the relocation of the Bakersfield Vet Center in California. The VA requires a maximum of 6,102 rentable square feet of contiguous clinical space along with 24 on-site surface parking spaces to provide outpatient readjustment counseling services for Veterans. The property must be located within specific delineated areas in Bakersfield, with boundaries varying slightly between notices but generally encompassing areas bounded by major streets including 7th Standard/Merle Haggard Drive, Chester Avenue, McCutchen/Hosking Avenue, and Allen Road. The space must be on a single floor, preferably the first floor, and cannot be located in FEMA 100-year flood plains or near incompatible uses such as liquor establishments or cannabis dispensaries. Interested offerors must submit detailed property information via email to Juan Razo at juan.razo@va.gov by 5:00 PM PST on August 20, 2025, with an earlier deadline of August 14, 2025 mentioned for one of the delineated areas. The VA plans to conduct a market survey in August/September 2025 with estimated occupancy targeted for 2026-2027.

This procurement opportunity falls under NAICS code 531120 (Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings) with a small business size standard of $41.5 million, and the VA is specifically seeking Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). No current incumbent contractors are identified in the notice, and no specific award values or budget ranges are disclosed at this pre-solicitation stage. The lease term is structured for 20 years with a 5-year firm commitment period, representing a significant long-term real estate commitment for the selected offeror. The space requirement of 6,102 rentable square feet translates to approximately 4,520-4,791 ABOA (Actual Building Occupied Area) depending on the specific property configuration. Respondents are explicitly advised that the VA assumes no responsibility to award a lease based solely on responses to this sources sought notice, indicating this is purely a market research exercise at this stage.