WAILUKU >> The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved a lease to build a new facility in Hawaii.

Veterans Affairs strategic planner Craig Oswald said Maui’s lease agreement for the state property is a first for the VA, which builds its facilities on land it or the federal government owns. The lease process involving nonfederal land is now referred to as the “Maui Doctrine” in Washington, D.C.

The $9.9 million facility will be built near Maui High School in Kahului.

The facility will consolidate the island’s three service locations: the Maui Vet Center in Maui Lani, which serves as a counseling center; the state Office of Veterans Services in Kahului, which assists veterans with applications for medical benefits; and the VA’s Maui Community-­Based Outpatient Clinic in Kahului, which provides general health care.

Oswald said in March he expected construction to start next year and to last about 18 months. He estimated the clinic could open in the latter part of 2019 or early 2020.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono announced Wednesday the approval to build the island’s one-stop facility for veterans in a news release. The lease is a partnership between the VA and the state Department of Education, which owns the land, according to the release.