R799--North Little Rock EUL Developer COR: Richelle Wagner

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking qualified organizations to redevelop underutilized vacant buildings at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) Eugene Towbin campus in North Little Rock, Arkansas through an Enhanced-Use Leasing (EUL) solicitation. The RFQ (#36C77625Q0160) invites developers to propose uses such as supportive housing, assisted living facilities, job training centers, or mixed-use developments that benefit veterans. Submissions will be evaluated based on five equally weighted factors: Development Plan, Operations Plan, Development Team Qualifications, Operations Team Qualifications, and Financial Wherewithal. The solicitation allows for multiple developers to potentially be selected, with a lease term possible up to 99 years. Responses are due by May 30, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, with the VA expecting to select one or more developers by summer 2025.

The solicitation is set aside specifically for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and involves redeveloping up to four vacant buildings totaling 72,210 square feet on the campus southwest side. The buildings, constructed prior to 1978, present potential environmental challenges including lead-based paint and structural issues. The CAVHS campus serves a significant veteran population, with 306 veterans in its catchment area and extensive healthcare facilities including 280 hospital beds, a 119-bed Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Unit, and a 152-bed Community Living Center. Developers must demonstrate ability to finance, design, develop, renovate, construct, operate, and maintain the project while complying with federal requirements including historic preservation, environmental regulations, and sustainable design standards. The place of performance is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, with the contracting office in Independence, Ohio.