Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

With the former Klein’s Supermarket sitting gutted for months, many residents began wondering what was stopping progress on the future Veterans Administration (VA) clinic site.

VA officials said there were several unanticipated challenges in converting the former grocery store, but the process is now ready to begin. Nabholz Construction was hired this month to begin work on the site.

The site is being leased for $1 million per year.

Another VA clinic is being built for the Katy area as well.

“We are excited about the progress being made on the new VA outpatient clinics for Katy and Tomball,” director Adam Walmus said. “Our goal is to bring medical care closer to where veterans live and eliminate the hassles they face fighting traffic and parking in Houston.”

The Tomball facility is projected to be 30,000 square feet and will provide veterans with several services including primary care, mental health, womens specialty care, phlebotomy, optometry, audiology, x-ray, telemedicine and teleretinal imaging.

Officials said that the recent challenges in converting the store have pushed the projected opening of the facility back to July 2013.

“For Tomball and the challenges of converting a former grocery store, we are looking at a July 2013 opening,” deputy director Bryan Bayley said. “We eagerly anticipate cutting the ribbon and opening these new clinics.”

Officials at the VA estimate the new Tomball clinic will serve more than 7,500 veterans within the first year.

Houston VA communications director Bobbi Gruner said that officials have already started looking for staff to run the facility, as well as nurses and doctors to serve patients.

“All federal jobs are posted at usajobs.gov,” Gruner said. “It’s a simple website to use, you can search jobs by area or by profession.”