BUTLER TWP — There’s no war between Butler and Center townships.

The Butler Township commissioners Monday night couldn’t stress that enough. However, they said they are still confused and disappointed in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ decision to disregard the agency’s first choice of locations for a new health care center — on the former Deshon Woods park property in Butler Township — for the Herold Farm property in Center Township.

“Center Township, if you can get it, God bless you. But we’re going to do what we can do to keep it in Butler Township,” said commissioners Chairman Joe Hasychak.

Cambridge Healthcare Solutions PA received a contract Dec. 31 from the VA to build the 168,000 square-foot center on the farm on Center Township’s North Duffy Road.

Officials in Center Township have said they believe the municipality can support the project, and they welcome it.

But at present there is no construction at either site. A stop work order was placed on the project due to a protest that was filed with the U.S. Government Accountability Office by the Oxford Development company, which unsuccessfully bid on the project. A decision on the case by the VA is expected in May.

Commissioner Dave Zarnick said the township only sold the Deshon Woods property because officials thought it would be used “for the veterans.”

The township sold the property to Westar Development of Akron, Ohio, which initially had a contract to build the new VA center. But the VA canceled its $75 million lease with Westar after a top official in that company faced criminal prosecution for alleged fraud in an unrelated project.

By the time the project was stopped, trees and foliage already had been removed from the property.

“This has been a mess,” said Commissioner Sam Zurzolo, who blamed VA officials for doing a poor job in handling the selection of a developer.

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