The Department of Veterans Affairs has signed a lease for a new community-based outpatient clinic in Horizon City, with construction slated to wrap up by the end of 2027 and the first patient appointments expected in March 2028. The facility, planned for roughly 17,640 square feet with 100 parking spaces, will offer primary care, mental health, and specialty services to veterans living southeast of Fort Bliss along the Interstate 10 corridor.
A New Front Door for Veteran Care East of El Paso
As reported by KFOX14/CBS4, the new clinic is intended to increase clinical capacity and provide more convenient, timely access to care for veterans in the region. It will support VISN 4, HSA 4.3, and the El Paso VA Health Care System, and officials say it will enhance access to mental health services while improving operational efficiency and the overall veteran experience. The lease is listed at approximately 23,814 rentable square feet, while the clinic is planned for 17,640 square feet. According to filings on SAM.gov, the agreement is structured as a 10-year firm term with a 10-year soft term — a federal commitment that could stretch up to 20 years.
Phillip Christy, Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director of the VA's Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, framed the lease as part of the agency's broader health care mission. Per the station's report, Christy said the VA's mission is to provide world-class health care to the nation's heroes, and that the VA must provide veterans the care they deserve when and where they need it. He called the new lease a critical investment in meeting the VA's health care mission, adding that the department remains committed to long-term, sustainable improvements in access and timely care for all veterans.
Why Horizon City, and Why Now
Horizon City has grown past 24,000 residents, according to Horizon City Police Department data. The town sits roughly 25 to 35 minutes southeast of Fort Bliss, and home prices there remain below the Texas median, per PCS Pay-it-Forward. The El Paso VA Health Care System operates two VA-staffed community-based outpatient clinics: one in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and one in east El Paso. Horizon City is set to become the newest addition, according to TexVet.
The new clinic also arrives amid a much larger regional buildout: a Jan. 4 release announced a $617.5 million contract to Clark Construction Group for a nearly 493,000-square-foot El Paso VA Health Care Center at Fort Bliss, as reported by Texas Contractor.
Serving Veterans in the Region
The El Paso VA Health Care System already operates on an annual budget of approximately $735 million with more than 1,500 employees, delivering care to over 44,000 enrolled veterans across far Southwest Texas and Doña Ana County, New Mexico, according to VA El Paso Health Care. Mark Rielo was appointed Medical Center Director after serving as acting director since September 2024, the same source notes.
Local behavioral health resources are already in place ahead of the clinic's opening. The Horizon City Police Department maintains a dedicated Crisis Intervention Team of officers trained in behavioral and mental health de-escalation, who collaborate with local hospitals and mental health providers during crisis calls.
For now, the timeline for Horizon City remains construction completion by the end of 2027 and first patient services in March 2028, giving veterans in eastern El Paso County a long-awaited option closer to home.
