Construction begins on new facility at Mpls Veterans Home
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Ground was broken today at the Minneapolis Veterans Home for a new 100-bed skilled nursing facility.
This building will replace Building 9, which was demolished in 2009 at the same location. Residents were moved from the building in November 2007 after structural problems were discovered. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2012.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is funding 65 percent ($19.2 million) of the project. The state portion is 35 percent, or $10.1 million, and was appropriated in the 2008 Capital Investment bill.
The new facility is based on the state-of-the-art community or neighborhood person-centered care concept. In addition to single occupancy rooms with private bathrooms, the décor will be designed to bring in the look and feel of home. There will also be a central town center that incorporates nostalgic features like a coffee shop, beauty parlor, barbershop, theater and museum.
“The Minneapolis Veterans Home has made tremendous progress since early 2008, and this project is yet another example of our forward momentum. We are looking forward to using this new facility to continue to provide high quality care for our nation’s heroes,” said Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Michael Pugliese.
In an effort to preserve some of the historical elements from the old structure, a number of original features and décor were preserved and will be incorporated and displayed in the new building, including the cornerstone, dated at the start of construction from the original building November 11, 1934.
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