New nursing home making progress
Image courtesy of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
The Ardie R. Copas State Veteran Home will have a groundbreaking sometime in 2016. It’ll likely open sometime in 2018. The nursing home will generate about $7 million a year in wages. Additionally, it’ll spend about another $5 million a year locally for supplies and services.
For Veteran Voice
Work on the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans’ Nursing Home is progressing, but it’s not the kind folks see when they’re driving by its Tradition Parkway address in Port St. Lucie.
The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs is in the early stages of building its seventh veterans nursing home after getting a nod from the Florida Cabinet and funding from the State Legislature. Steve Murray, communications director, said more than one state agency is involved.
“We have been working with the Florida Department of Management Services, which oversees the architectural design and construction, “Murray said.
Wayne Teegardin, St. Lucie County’s veterans services manager, said that his office is getting a lot of queries about the home.
“We do have people coming into our office all the time inquiring about it and wanting to know when they can sign up (to become residents),” he said. “We have (adult) children coming in to ask about their parents.”
And—
“We’re getting calls about jobs, of course,” Teegardin said. “‘When are they hiring?’”
Teegardin said his answer is the same to everyone.
“We’re telling them there’ll be public notices about the groundbreaking,” he said.
So, when’s the groundbreaking going to be?
“I see the groundbreaking with the shovels and everything sometime in 2016,” Murray said.