Excerpt:

It seemed as though the plans to build a veterans' facility at Alameda Point were moving full steam ahead. But no. Last year the project almost died until the East Bay Regional Park District stepped in to help.

The $210 million veterans' project includes an outpatient clinic, a columbarium, administrative space and associated parking. It would provide primary and specialty care, including ancillary services, mental health, substance abuse, ambulatory surgery and vocational rehab for more than 7,000 veterans from Northern Alameda County. It was to be built on part of the 549- acre wildlife refuge parcel at Alameda Point that the Navy was giving to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the project.

As a condition of the land transfer, however, the VA had to agree to take over the entire 549-acre parcel.