Michigan Veteran Homes has entered into an agreement with a private seller to acquire 38+ acres of land in Marquette Township. The subject property sits south of Marquette Cinemas, east of Wright Street and includes donated acres in honor of the property owner’s late father, U.S. Army Veteran Edward F. Scott.
While the signed purchase agreement represents a significant step forward to replace the aging veterans home, numerous contingencies remain. MVH continues to work diligently with state, local, and federal partners toward acquiring the land and breaking ground.
Read the press release.
Currently, MVHDJJ operates in the former St. Mary’s Hospital building located at 425 Fisher Street. The building was originally constructed in 1954 and acquired by the State of Michigan in 1981 for the operation of a state veteran home.
Although the existing building has been a wonderful asset to veterans and their families, it is now close to 70 years old and many of the critical infrastructure systems have reached the end of their useful lives. Additionally, the contemporary approach to skilled nursing has encouraged a move away from a more “institutional”, hospital-like setting toward a more “home-like” environment.
Unlike the more institutional, hospital-like design of the current building, the proposed design of the new Marquette-area home will incorporate a “small-home” design philosophy, featuring a central community center that includes a large communal gathering space, café bistro, barber shop and salon, pharmacy, multi-faith prayer room, therapy gym, central outdoor courtyard, as well as administrative offices for staff.
The community center will connect to three separate “neighborhood” buildings, each comprised of two 18-member “households”, and a secured outdoor courtyard. Each household features private member rooms with en suite bathrooms, which not only offer increased privacy and dignity for our members, but also provide additional infection control protection by providing personal living spaces when it is needed. The households also feature spacious common areas, including the household’s kitchen, dining room, living room, den and other support spaces to facilitate on-household member activities.
The primary intention of the new design is focused on creating a home-like environment for our veteran members and their dependents, enhancing the overall quality of life for those who have come to live and receive high-quality skilled nursing care in Michigan’s veteran homes.
While DJJHV was authorized to provide care for around 184 members for many years, accommodating that census involved the provision of care in shared bedrooms and bathrooms of two to four members. At the current time, the existing Home maintains a maximum member census of 126, a shift prompted by several considerations. In addition to a declining population seeking residential skilled nursing care, many of those seeking care strongly prefer to have their own personal living space, rather than living in a shared room.
The proposed design of the new home includes private rooms with en suite bathrooms for a total of 108 members. The proposed census of the replacement home incorporated the considerations outlined above (strong member preference for private rooms, declining number of veterans seeking skilled nursing), as well as veteran population projections and operational manageability.
If you would like additional information about the proposed design of the new home, please visit the following link to view the most current design renderings: MVHDJJ Rendering.
Across the U.S., funding for the construction of new state veteran homes is provided by a combination of state and federal dollars. In 2022, the State of Michigan authorized a state match for the project, making our state eligible for federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) State Home Construction Grant Program, which will fund up to 65% of eligible and allowable construction costs with federal funds.
MVH anticipates that groundbreaking for the replacement building should occur in late-Spring or early-Summer of 2025. Although a final construction schedule will not be available until the return of bids for the project, we anticipate a construction period of approximately 30 – 36 months. After substantial completion on construction of the building, MVH will move a limited number of members into the new building and undertake the process of licensing and certifying the building with the USDVA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This process can take anywhere from 6 – 12 months, after which MVH will move the remaining members over to the new location.
Our operations at 425 Fisher Street currently utilize all ~7.3 acres available at that location. Although we currently operate in a multi-story building with shared member rooms, the design of the new veteran home is a single-story building with private member rooms. This design requires significantly more acreage to accommodate the planned census of 108 members.
Additionally, were we to try and move forward with a replacement project on that site, it would require displacement of our existing members during the >3-year demolition and construction period. Rather than displace existing members, the decision was made to seek out a new location for the replacement building, allowing MVH to continue serving our UP veterans and dependents in our existing building during the construction period.
The future disposition of the current facility, once vacated, is not yet determined. MVH will collaborate with State officials, departments, and others regarding the existing building’s future purpose.
Questions regarding the replacement of MVHDJJ should be emailed to EngleR3@michigan.gov
