The 'House in the Woods': Minnesota VA reps visit for update on new Bemidji Veterans Home project

June 02-- Jun. 2--BEMIDJI -- Although architectural design work continues behind the scenes, this summer will be a time of hurry-up-and-wait for proponents of a Bemidji veterans home.

The formal application for the project was sent to the federal government in March by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs--after more than a decade of local and regional advocacy, meetings with legislators and local fundraising. The application is to help the $42 million veterans home project receive federal funding.

"The Minnesota VA prepared our application with our pledge of the local share and the project is now sitting in the federal VA's cue for construction," Beltrami County Veterans Service Officer Scotty Allison said. "The Minnesota VA is pretty optimistic we're going to get the federal funding this year. If it gets in, we'll start construction next spring with an opening sometime in summer 2021."

In mid-May, Minnesota VA representatives traveled to Bemidji for an update on the project. According to Allison, the facility will be operating similar to a nursing home, with the ability to provide long- and short-term care, with the latter for rehabilitation after a hospital stay. In total, the facility will be able to house 72 beds, though they'll be divided into four sections.

Those sections, referred to as "households," will each hold 18 beds and have their own dining room, living room, kitchenette and nurses station. Amenities in preliminary designs include laundry rooms, a spa, a barber, a meditation room, a library/media area and event space.

The facility will be built on the city's north side on land donated by Sanford Health, located directly east of Sanford Health'sNeilson Place nursing home.

Getting the project to this point in the process was made possible last May when the Minnesota Legislature approved $32 million for the construction of new veterans homes in Bemidji, Preston and Montevideo. Of the amount, $12.4 million was dedicated to the Bemidji location.

Veteran homes nationwide are built with state and local entities covering 35 percent while the federal government provides the other 65 percent. To ensure it met its local financial obligation, Beltrami County officials and project supporters spent the rest of 2018 raising about $2.3 million to secure the project.

Front and center

A year after getting the state Legislature's support, the architects and representatives from the Minnesota VA met with Bemidji Director of Public Works Craig Gray and City Planning Director Casey Mai on May 14. Also attending the meeting was Allison, Beltrami County Administrator Kay Mack and County Commissioners Richard Anderson and Jim Lucachick, who's also the Veterans Home Task Force chair. Former commissioner, U.S. Army veteran and project advocate Joe Vene also attended.

"We wanted to meet with them in person, because it's such a huge project that the community has been working on for more than 10 years," said Douglas Hughes, deputy commissioner for health care at the Minnesota VA. "It's really important for us to show a front-and-center appearance."

The multi-year effort has been pushed by locals, especially in Beltrami County, because of a northwest Minnesota veterans population of nearly 27,000. The population is underserved now, as the closest veterans home is in Fergus Falls.

"We look at veteran population trends throughout the state, and we can definitely tell there's a need in the Bemidji area," Hughes said.

To make it feel like it belongs in the Bemidji area, Hughes said the facility is being designed to reflect a regional, cabin-like aesthetic.

"There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes with design development," Hughes said. "Bemidji's is going to be the 'House in the Woods,' Montevideo's will be the 'House on the Prairie' and Preston will be the 'House on the Hill.'"

"It's going to have a really good, up-north feel to it, with a lot of natural stone and wood on the exterior," Mack said. "There's also a lot of good outdoor space for the veterans to go out, with walking paths and courtyards."

Along with how it looks, Hughes said the ongoing process includes getting feedback from health providers to ensure good care.

"We've talked to specialists in physical therapy, nursing home staff, veterans groups and just about anybody else to make sure we really paid attention to everything that will be put into all three of these homes," Hughes said.

According to Allison, the residential application process will start about six to eight months before construction is completed.

"We believe the day it opens, it will be full," Allison said. "There are already waiting lists at veteran homes in the state of Minnesota now, some at eight months."

When the announcement comes signalling federal funds have been secured, Allison said the county will hold a community celebration, either in July or August.

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