Progress is expected this upcoming week on the lease agreement to secure 112 acres of land at Eagles Field in Mangilao. The plan is to use it for a new public hospital. The review process has been met with constant concern and questions.

A new medical complex - essentially a new hospital - will still be centrally located, but on the east side of the island. "To not move forward on this is a total missed opportunity if we don’t get this lease. We have 30 days less to sign it and I want the people of Guam to know that we need to make sure to take this opportunity," explained Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. She expects to have progress on the lease under review by Guam’s attorney general in the next week.

As we reported, the land is owned by the federal government. Original landowners have argued for it to be returned to them. The governor said the military realigned its missile defense plans to accommodate the proposal to transform Eagles Field in Mangilao into a medical complex.

The lease negotiations were held over the past two and a half years.

AG doug moylan says his understanding is there is little room to modify it, noting, "Our lawyers need the time to look at it. Obviously there is a bill out there the governor vetoed that would impact the review of this document. So the suggestion was made to give the legislature time to fulfill it’s ability to override the veto and then it would make our decision – it would come to the question if this document could be approved or not from the AGs perspective."

The bill vetoed by the governor calls for transparency for the Eagles Field property. It got unanimous support on session floor and senators have enough votes for the override.

Moylan says he did find one section in the lease that is a bit concerning, adding, "As lawyers, our job is to let the parties know this is an issue and then look at the law and see how that relates to it. That’s why Paragraph 10 does not necessarily mean that this is for the people of Guam. There’s a clause that allows it for federal purpose."

A concern over whether the facility is for the public or just an overflow for Naval Hospital. But the governor says, "There is no provision that says this hospital is for military. We are going to own the hospital, and going to build the hospital. The military, I will tell you, and for the people of Guam please understand that this is an unprecedented opportunity."

"There is a provision that says during war an in national emergency, they have the authority to take over. We are U.S. territory. During war, the president could say we are taking over Guam, and the president could say, airport you are now under the military, port authority you are now under the military, why? Because they need to have easy access to provide. The privision also says we as a government can recoup and get reimbursement from the military so I don’t think that is a big issue for the discussions."

Whatever the outcome, the governor says she will sign the lease.