VCOEB June 2018 Meeting

The Board has been working since December 2017 in helping VA return all of VA’s West Los Angeles (West LA) Campus to its intended purpose of supporting our Veterans and, in particular, our homeless veterans. The Board has had extensive discussions with VA staff, and they believe they are at a critical point in the process (i.e., selecting a Principal Developer). The Board has identified the necessity to separate the two processes of selecting a builder/contractor for the 50 units in Building 207 and selecting a Principal (Master) Developer to revise and implement the Draft Master Plan and associated considerations. The two projects require significantly different experience and qualification requirements, and the Board does not believe VA will find professional excellence for both skill sets in one entity. The Board believes the

Principal Developer should have successfully demonstrated the expertise needed to explore development alternatives, determine the common infrastructure required for the north/south campus, and evaluate financial and funding considerations. In the final analysis, the selected Principal Developer will be charged with transforming a Draft Master Plan into a working Master Plan that can deliver at least 1,200, and possibly as many as 3,200, units of permanent supportive housing.

The Board is concerned the selection process for a Principal Developer is starting with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Unless the RFQ contains the required elements of a Request for Proposals (RFP), VA runs the risk of needlessly delaying the selection and the project. Key pre-award activities should include further defining the proposed scope of work and time line.