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Date: 2/15/2021
BOSTON – On Feb 11 Gov. Charles Baker filed a bill asking the Legislature to approve a bill allocating a $400 million bond to construct a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, and has asked the General Court to move swiftly in order to meet a federal funding deadline.
Massachusetts National Guard Major General Gary W. Keefe, chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke said in a written statement, “I have been pleased by the rapid planning process and the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to hearing and responding to the views and concerns of the veteran residents, families and staff on a wide range of priorities including bed capacity. This is a great example of how we can achieve positive outcomes for our Western Massachusetts veterans, and we look forward to serving them in this beautiful new facility.”
Baker’s letter read, “I am filing for your consideration a bill entitled ‘An Act Financing the Reconstruction of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke,’ which would provide up to $400 million in capital authorization for a major project to reconstruct the long-term care facility at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
“The current Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was constructed before modern design standards for medical facilities. The Administration has taken immediate steps to address urgent capital and infection control needs, but we believe a major reconstruction of the campus is necessary for the health, safety, and comfort of future generations of veterans and staff.
“This bill provides the capital authorization that would allow the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to construct a new long-term care facility on the site of the current Holyoke Soldiers’ Home that, based on federal standards and guidelines, would provide the long term care and adult day health services the veterans of Western Massachusetts and their families deserve and require.
“This authorization will enable DCAMM, in partnership with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS), and the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, to apply on April 15 to the federal Veterans Administration’s State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program for 65 percent in matching funds for the project.
“Beginning with the Rapid Planning Process in September of 2020, DCAMM has engaged a wide range of stakeholders to assess current needs and to seek planning inputs. Their insights have been extremely valuable for the ongoing Schematic Design process. DCAMM, EOHHS, DVS, and the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home remain committed to a transparent process and to providing stakeholders and the community with progress reports as they become available. We also appreciate the work being done and the input provided by the legislature’s Special Committee on Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, and the ongoing guidance and advice we are receiving from Representative Joe Wagner, the Dean of the Western Massachusetts delegation.
"Due to the federal calendar, the timeline for the grant program is accelerated, and requires DCAMM, EOHHS, DVS, and the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home to quickly move from the study phase into the design development phase, which must be completed by Aug. 1, 2021 to be eligible for this cycle of the grant program. To meet that deadline, DCAMM must have this authorization available by April 1, 2021. We understand this is a very short window and will make ourselves available to the legislature in whatever way would be most helpful, so we can reach an agreement on this bond bill by mid-March, with a terms bill filed and enacted soon afterwards. Missing these deadlines would delay the project until the next grant cycle, meaning our deserving veterans would wait longer for this crucial new facility. For these reasons, we will do whatever we can to respond to your questions and concerns, and I urge you to enact this legislation promptly.”
Wagner released the following statement in reaction to the governor’s request, “Today, the governor filed legislation requesting a $400 million authorization in order to provide the state-matched funding necessary to support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. This legislation will now be before the Legislature for our consideration, and is the result of an ongoing dialogue between numerous stakeholders, as outlined by the governor in his filing letter. I have personally been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with a number of these stakeholders over a period for many months. I am pleased that these discussions have resulted in the governor seeking an authorization, which substantially exceeds the funding projections outlined in the Payette Rapid Response Report. I wish to thank Governor Baker, my colleagues and all of the stakeholders who worked so hard and played a role in bringing us to this point.”