Land Acquisitions & Strategic Utilization (LASU)
Overview
The Office of Land Acquisitions Strategic Utilization (LASU) was officially created within the Office of Real Property (ORP) in 2016 to focus on better aligning VA-owned real property to support the delivery of healthcare and services to our nations Veterans.
LASU ensures that VHA has the necessary land resources to build, expand, or optimize healthcare facilities and related infrastructures. Its primary goal is to align LASU strategies with VHA’s long-term healthcare delivery objectives. LASU accomplishes real property alignment through Land Acquisitions, Disposals, Historic Reuse Program, and Real Estate Advisory Services.
LASU mission
- Partner with non-federal entities to improve the efficiency of delivery of veteran healthcare facilities.
- Reduce unused and underutilized space and efficiently right-size VA’s owned real property inventory by allowing for disposition and third-party reuse.
- Develop a new revenue stream to support the historic preservation of VA real property assets.
LASU coordinates with VHA program offices, NCA, OFP, OGC, contracting, and local medical centers. Engages with other federal agencies (GSA, DOD, USACE, state and local governments, tribal entities, and public notification process). Identifies and mitigates legal, environmental, access, zoning, and title risks. Develop briefing materials and recommendations for senior and executive leadership and produce comparative analysis of alternatives to support executive decision making.
Core Responsibilites:
Identify and Secure Land: LASU evaluates potential sites for new VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, cemeteries, and other facilities.
Negotiations and Transactions: Handles negotiations with property owners, developers, and government entities for purchase, lease, easement, or donation of land.
Due Diligence: Conducts environmental assessments, title reviews, and compliance checks with federal, state, and local regulations.
VA has various authorities to dispose of vacant and underutilized real property assets. These authorities include, but are not limited to, direct sale, special legislation and transfer to other agencies. VA also partners with the General Services Administration (GSA) to dispose of unneeded real property assets. LASU uses these authorities and partnerships to help advance VA’s mission by streamlining VA’s real property portfolio.
CFM has created a Disposal Guide to help VA Facilities plan, implement, and execute projects to dispose of vacant and unneeded properties by explaining the various options available and the corresponding processes which should be followed when disposing of VA’s real property assets. This guide discusses the decision-making criteria when considering disposal of vacant buildings, structures and/or land; and provides disposal options available to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the priority in which to consider these options, and the required steps to complete a disposal for each of the options.
Core Responsibilities:
Portfolio Optimization: Reviews existing VA-owned land to determine if it is being used effectively or if it can be repurposed.
Disposal of Surplus Property: Manages the sale, transfer, or exchange of underutilized or excess land in compliance with federal property disposal laws.
Partnership Development: Works with public and private partners for joint ventures, enhanced-use leases, or shared services on VA land.
The VA HRP was established as a comprehensive Department-wide approach to making vacant and /or underutilized VA-owned historic assets available for reuse or exchange at minimal cost to the Department.
The authority for this program is derived from Section 111 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) codified at 54 U.S. Code § 306121-306122 Specifically this authority allows federal agencies to outlease or exchange federally–owned historic properties to public or private entities for alternative uses after consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). Federal agencies may also enter into agreements with outside entities for the management of the historic buildings or property. Several federal agencies including the General Services Administration, NASA and the Coast Guard routinely use this authority to out lease or exchange unneeded vacant historic real property. With a vast portfolio of historic real property, HRP is a tool for VA to put these vacant /underutilized historic assets back into productive use while minimizing the maintenance and upkeep costs for the buildings. Ideally, the private sector partner would redevelop the historic real property and maintain its historic attributes while operating it as an income producing property. This would allow the department to meet its obligation to maintain its historic real property assets without expending funds that could be directed toward veteran benefits. The HRP will be managed by the Office of Real Property’s Land Acquisitions and Strategic Utilization (LASU). For more information about HRP please contact the LASU team at RPSU@va.gov.
LASU develops acquisition strategies/plan (conceptual approval, phased acquisition, easement acquisition, access rights, relocation, and utilities). It negotiates and manages easements (access, utilities, drainage, pipelines), coordinates for infrastructure relocation or accommodations, and ensures legal access and constructability.
LASU provides support through planning, design, and construction phases and completes post-acquisition actions such as deed enforcement, use restrictions, and reversionary interests. LASU also engages with local governments, community stakeholders, and elected officials and navigates public concerns related to land use and environmental impacts.
Core Responsibilities:
Market and Demographic Studies: Analyzes veteran population trends to forecast future facility needs.
Site Feasibility Studies: Evaluates factors like accessibility, zoning, environmental impact, and infrastructure availability.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Ensures acquisitions and utilization decisions are financially sound and mission-aligned.
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has eight vacant lodges in the mid-Atlantic region that are available for long–term outlease. All of the lodges are historic between 80 – 140 years old with many having ties to the Civil War era.
The Knoxville VA medical Center is a 151-acre, 44 building campus that was vactaed as a result of the consilidation and relocation of the Central Iowa Health Care System to Des Moines, IA.
Building 1 is a 223,320 square foot building located on the 88-acre VA Butler Healthcare campus in Butler, Pennsylvania. It is one of the original buildings on the campus and was constructed in 1939.
Compliance and government
Federal regulations
Adheres to laws such as the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act and VA-specific directives.
Environmental and Historic Preservation
Ensures compliance with NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
Veteran-centric approach
Prioritizes decisions that improve access and quality of care for veterans.
Strategic impact
Supports expansion of healthcare services
By securing land for new clinics and hospitals.
Improves operational efficiency
Through better utilization of existing assets.
Enables community partnerships
By facilitating collaborations that enhance veteran services.
Public Private Partnerships
Public Private Partnerships (P3) allow VA to utilize existing authorities to leverage private sector capabilities to more effectively deliver veteran healthcare facilities.
VA has been authorized to carry out a pilot program under which it may accept up to five donations from specified non-federal entities. The law is referred to as the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, of 2016.
Learn more about CHIP IN Act
Public Law 114-294, the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016, also referred to as the CHIP IN Act, authorizes VA to carry out a pilot program under which it may accept up to five donations from specified non-federal entities of:
- Real property that includes a constructed facility or that is to be used as the site of a facility constructed by the donor, and
- A facility to be constructed by the donor on real property of the VA.
The Donation must be:
- A property for which funds have been appropriated for a VA facility project or a property that is identified as meeting a need of the VA as part of its long-range capital planning process and that is the location for a VA facility project that is included on the Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list; and
- Donated pursuant to a formal agreement with the VA for a VA facility project in an amount acceptable to the VA at no additional cost to the federal government.
An agreement that provides for the construction of a facility shall require the entity to:
- Conduct all necessary environmental and historic preservation due diligence,
- Comply with all local zoning requirements,
- Obtain all required construction permits,
- Use construction standards required of the VA when designing, repairing, altering, or building the facility, and
- Provide the real property, improvements, goods, or services in a manner sufficient to complete the construction at no additional cost to the federal government.
VA can carry out a pilot program to accept up to five donations for VA facility projects, and two have been identified:
- Omaha, NE: A project/donation in Omaha, NE for an ambulatory care center was approved, constructed and began seeing patients at the end of 2020.
- Tulsa, OK: A project/donation to construct an inpatient facility to support the Muskogee Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)’s projected workload in the Tulsa, OK, market. VA received a proposal from The Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges to donate a site with a building that will be renovated, and a parking garage constructed to support the VAMC’s requirements as detailed in the project’s SCIP Business Case. In 2021, VA received $120 million for a capital contribution to execute the donation. The Design and Development Agreement was completed and signed in August 2021 between VA and the donor group, Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT); this agreement provides the guidelines for the design and associated funding. This project is currently in design, which is being executed by VHiT.
VA’s authority to accept donations under the program originally expired five years after the date of the bill’s enactment. Public Law 117-42, amended the authority to expire on December 16, 2026.
If you are a non-federal entity interested in participation in the CHIP IN program or are simply looking to get more information on the program, please contact Office of Construction and Facilities Management Office of Real Property.