Cutting-Edge Veterans Home Features Geothermal Wells, Solar Array
CHELSEA, Mass. — A new state-of-the-art Veterans Home unveiled Friday in Massachusetts is fossil-fuel free and composed of green spaces, 145 geothermal wells and a rooftop solar array.
Located across the Mystic River from Boston on Chelsea’s Powder Horn Hill, the Veterans Home at Chelsea is a long-term care facility dedicated to serving the Commonwealth’s veterans.
The new facility, which consists of 154 private resident rooms organized around communal spaces and expansive courtyards, was designed to optimize natural light and fulfill Gov. Maura Healey’s climate resilience goals.
The facility’s power and heat come entirely from renewable sources, and it was built with an eye toward achieving LEED Platinum and Zero Net Energy certifications.
“This new facility is what our veterans earned and deserve, and it represents a new era of care and commitment to our veterans,” said Healey.
“It offers a sense of community for our veterans, allows them to have dignity and autonomy in a home-like environment, and makes sure that their physical, mental and emotional needs are met,” she said.
Joining Healey for a tour of the facility and an official ribbon cutting were Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Office of Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago.
The Healey administration utilized federal funding in its Capital Investment Plan to construct new veterans homes in Chelsea and Holyoke.
The federal government is offering up to 65% reimbursement for these projects, while the state is contributing a 35% match, resulting in a total five-year state investment of $280.1 million.
The Chelsea Home is a $200 million project, with a significant portion covered by substantial federal investment, state officials said.
“From day one, our administration has been committed to revitalizing veterans’ services in Massachusetts and making sure our veterans receive the resources, benefits and support they deserve,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, in a written statement.
“From appointing Secretary Santiago and building up the Executive Office of Veterans Services, to filing the HERO Act, to leading transformational projects at our Veterans Homes in Chelsea and Holyoke, we are making sure that Massachusetts delivers world-class care to those who have heroically served our country.”
“Supporting our veterans is personal for me. All three of my brothers served in the military. I pushed for oversight to address the failures of the old Chelsea Soldiers’ Home facility, and today’s grand opening of the newly constructed Veterans Home in Chelsea is a new chapter to ensure our veterans get the care they’ve earned and deserve,” said Warren. “I’m thankful for Gov. Healey and her team, and for Secretary McDonough, for their tireless work to ensure this Veterans Home provides first-rate service to our vets.”
The facility is expected to be fully occupied by early 2024.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
