![Photo: Aurora VA Hospital Construction May 2015 (AP Photo)](https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019/06/ap_992198951730-1.jpg)
An extravagant design plan is one reason costs have skyrocketed at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital under construction in Aurora, according to a new review by the department's internal watchdog.
In 2009 Congress approved $800 million for construction of the hospital, which would replace an aging facility built in 1951 and serve a growing number of veterans living in the area, according to the inspector general's report.
The estimated budget is now $1.675 billion.
![Chart: Rising costs of VA hospital in Aurora -- with caption](https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019/06/estimated-va-costs-1-1.png)
Colorado Matters host Nathan Heffel talked with Mark K. Matthews, Washington correspondent for the Denver Post, who has followed this story for two years.