BUTLER TWP — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a lease contract for a 168,000-square-foot health care center to Cambridge Healthcare Solutions PA, LP of Vienna, Va.

The center will be a two-story building on North Duffy Road about 1.4 miles away from the Butler campus, announced VA Butler Healthcare today. That site is in Center Township.

The federal VA awarded the contract on Dec. 31.

The center will expand VA Butler Healthcare’s outpatient services to meet increasing demand and will include primary care, specialty care, dental, lab, pathology, radiology, mental health, and ancillary and diagnostic services.

“This is a milestone that renews VA’s commitment to providing high quality medical services to our veterans and preserves our presence in the Butler community,” said John Gennaro, VA Butler Healthcare director.

VA will occupy the center for 20 years. Cambridge will be paid $8.4 million in fully-serviced annual rent after an initial rent abatement period.

Construction completion is anticipated to be 31 months from the award of the contract.

During the design and construction of the new center, veterans will continue to receive services without interruption either at the main facility or one of the community based outpatient clinics.