WPRO Newsroom and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The state has broken ground on a new home for Rhode Island veterans.
Gov. Gina Raimondo, U.S. Reps. James Langevin and David Cicilline, local politicians and veterans marked the start of construction Friday in Bristol.
Voters approved a $94 million bond in 2012 for a new 208-bed veterans’ home. It will be built on the site of the current Rhode Island Veterans Home, which is 60 years old.
Raimondo says the new home will allow veterans to live independently, among their fellow veterans and with access to quality care. It’s scheduled to open by late 2017.
The state is building it to meet federal guidelines so it will be eligible for federal reimbursements.
Peregrine Group, a veteran-owned contractor in East Providence, will lead the design and construction work.
