St. Paul, Minn. – Aging Veterans and other eligible family members from Montevideo and the surrounding region may have a new option for residential skilled nursing care by 2022. For more than 12 years, local officials and Veterans’ advocates have lobbied for the addition of a new Minnesota State Veterans Home in their community. Plans are moving forward, according to officials from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA).

Montevideo is one of three Minnesota cities pursuing a future Minnesota Veterans Home. The proposed Montevideo location is a 13.5-acre site at the intersection of William Avenue and County Road 15. In 2018, the Minnesota Legislature allocated $9.4 million toward the cost of the project which will be funded by a combination of federal-granted (65 percent), state-bonded and pending community-provided monies (35 percent). In March of this year, MDVA submitted an application for Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; that funding will not be confirmed until early 2020.

While Federal funds are not guaranteed, there is optimism among the planning team. “MDVA looks forward to approval of our Federal funding request and breaking ground on this new Veterans Home next year,” said Douglas Hughes, Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Healthcare, MDVA.

Representatives from MDVA, the Minnesota Department of Administration and the architecture/engineering firms of Wold and Perkins Eastman visited Montevideo on May 15 to provide an update. Local leaders were eager to learn more about the proposed Veterans Home and how their fall 2018 feedback was incorporated into the facility’s design.

The Montevideo Home’s design reflects a prairie-style inspired design that integrates natural materials such as wood and stone into the spaces. The public spaces includes a large community, multi-purpose room that can seat 170 people classroom style. A Town Center features a small coffee shop/cafe, theater/meeting room, family dining room, meditation room/chapel, and club room. The 72 300-square-foot residential units are split into two neighborhoods and four “households” of 18-residents each avoiding long institutional-feeling hallways. Outdoor features include gardens and potentially a playground to encourage community children to visit.

“I’m very happy about the progress of this project,” said Jim Curtiss, Mayor of Montevideo. “This will be a bonus for the Veterans of Western Minnesota.”

Other local officials invited to the May 16 meeting included (included in attached photo, front row L to R) Tom Anderson, former Montevideo American Legion Commander; Montevideo Mayor Jim Curtiss (also a Vietnam Veteran); Dennis Anderson, Montevideo American Legion member; Don Loftus, coordinator of the Tuesday Coffee Group (WWII, Korean, and Vietnam Vets); Marv Garbe, Montevideo Veterans Home Committee Chairman; (back row L to R) Capt.  Matthew Scholz, Battery Commander of HHS 1-151, Minnesota National Guard based in Montevideo; 1SGT Tim Green, First SGT of Minnesota National Guard based in Montevideo; and Tim Kolhei, Chippewa County Veterans Service Officer.

Construction on the Veterans Home will be led by a general contractor which will strive to hire a significant percentage of sub-contractors from the local community. The new Minnesota Veterans Homes will also support the local economies long-term by offering employment opportunities to those who share the MDVA mission to care for Veterans. MDVA officials estimate hiring approximately 140 employees.

For more information, visit the MDVA Future Homes webpage.

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About MDVA
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit www.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.