It looks like just about everything about the U.S. Department of Veterans Afrairs’ proposed new medical center is a mess.

Because a senior executive who had worked for the original developer was found guilty of fraud, using false invoices to steal money from a previous employer, the VA has put the project on hold, opening it up for rebidding by new developers and considering new sites.

The most visible aspect of the VA mess is the land along Route 68, just west of the VA campus’ back entrance. Land that was once tree-covered is now a 20-acre empty lot, with piles of dirt and some stacks of orange plastic pipe, having been stripped of trees, bulldozed — and now, temporarily, abandoned.

But the site should not stay in that condition. Local officials should be working to see that this situation does not become a long-term mess.

The VA apparently determined the Route 68 site was best for a new medical facility after looking at several deals and locations. Efforts should be made to see that the site, already partially excavated and nearly ready for building, is available to the VA. Beyond the location and already completed site work, it’s worth noting that all the necessary permits are in place.

VA officials said earlier this month that the Route 68 site will be one of four considered for the $75 million project that would construct a 168,000-square-foot building to replace many of the functions of buildings on the New Castle Road side of the VA campus. The other sites being considered are in Franklin Township, Center Township and a second Butler Township site near the Route 356/Route 422 interchange.

But choosing a different site for the VA project would likely cause delays and would also leave what is now something of an eyesore along Route 68.

VA Butler Partners, a subsidiary of Westar, the developer originally awarded the contract, is the owner of the property. Local officials here should be looking into determining a fair price to purchase the property so it’s available whenever the VA restarts the project.

Factored into a fair price would be the price paid by Westar to Butler Township to buy the parcel, tree removal costs (less timber sale revenue), site preparation costs and more. Then, a reasonable offer should be made to purchase the property, with the intent of passing it on, at cost, to the developer eventually selected for the VA medical center project.

Action should be initiated by Butler Township officials, but it’s possible that the County Redevelopment Authority might also play a role in keeping the propety in the favored position for the VA. The Route 68 site also is closer to the VA campus than any of the other sites being considered.

More than a few people objected to the clear-cutting of the trees on that property. Now that’s its been stripped bare and prepared for construction, the best way forward for the community is for the new VA facility to be built there, regardless of the developer selected by the VA.

Even though the former Westar executive was fired soon after he was indicted, it’s unclear whether the VA officials in Washington will disqualify Westar as the developer. If that is the case, what does it mean for the already developed site? How long will it sit as a barren field? Will another use provide comparable local tax revenue and jobs?

Even though the Route 68 property would at some point be developed, the VA facility seems to be the highest and best use for the property from the perspective of Butler Township as well as VA patients.