And he added that it's sorely needed.
"We're happy about it, finally. It's just taken forever to get it," Clark said. "The population of veterans in Polk County has never been well-served."
The clinic was approved in 2017. The lot near Sam's Club was one of three locations considered, in addition to a location on Kathleen Road near I-4 and one off the Polk Parkway near Florida Polytechnic University, according to LkldNow.com.
"That's four years," Clark said. "We've won wars in less time."
Clark said the South Pipkin clinic is severely overwhelmed with patients, which is why he's disappointed the new clinic won't start taking patients until 2024. The existing clinic currently serves 23,000 veterans, according to the press release.