The Bemidji Veterans Home might be one day closer to realization thanks to funding included in Senate Republican Bonding proposal released on May 9. The proposal authorizes $12.4 million in state funding match federal dollars for construction of the veterans home.  Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) played a critical role in securing funding along with support from the community and regional veteran activists.

“Since entering the Senate nearly two years ago the Bemidji Veterans Home has stood at the top of my priorities list for our district, “said Sen. Eichorn. “Every time I’ve come to Bemidji I’ve been blown away by the level of support this project has received from the community and the veterans that call our region home.”

The proposal will allow construction of the veterans home to proceed on the north side of Bemidji, on land donated by Sanford Health. If the bonding bill is signed into law by the Governor, the project will still face some federal hurdles and deadlines. If all goes to plan, all grants will be secured by September 2020, and the project will be completed by or before October 2025.

“If you account for all the veterans identified in our 16 contiguous counties, you’ll notice that our region has a higher percentage of older veterans than anywhere else the state,” Sen. Eichorn continued. “That population will only continue to age, and with that, they’ll only require more support. Its unfair to them and their families that as their needs increase they continue to sit in a virtual dead zone for care options since the nearest veterans home is over two hours away. This project will serve to remedy that, allowing our veterans flexibility, and giving our community the opportunity to show gratitude to the 20,000 plus vets in our region.”

Currently, the closest veterans home in the region is located in Fergus Falls, a 128-mile drive from Bemidji making the northcentral Minnesota’s veterans population one of the least served populations in the state. When completed, the project is anticipated to serve nearly 26,802 of Minnesota’s veterans.