A groundbreaking ceremony for a new Holyoke Massachusetts Veterans Home, which will replace the existing long-term care facility that was built more than seven decades ago, will be held Monday.
Gov. Maura Healey, Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll and many other officials are expected to attend Monday’s inauguration, which is scheduled for noon.
According to a state website about the projectthe new facility will house 234 veterans upon completion, and is scheduled for substantial completion in the summer of 2028. The new care facility will feature a “tiny house model” as well as many amenities such as gardens, hairdresser, dining room and social areas and a pavilion for outdoor events.
Residents will also have access to on-site physical therapy and dental care.
The replacement facility will have sustainable design attributes such as geothermal heating and cooling and high-efficiency windows.
The existing veterans’ home has many rooms with three or four beds.
The home was the site of one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the nation. Some 76 residents who had COVID died in the spring of 2020, and a 77th patient died of the virus in December of that year.
The estimated total cost of the 350,000 square foot facility is approximately $483 million.
