Edit

Illinois Receives Nearly $200 Million in Federal Funding for Enhancements to the Veterans' Home at Quincy

Government and Politics

June 29, 2022

From: Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker

Illinois is the recipient of a final grant of $194,762,750 from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for enhancements to the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy. The allocation will be used for campus reconstruction and replacement of the current veterans’ home with a 210-bed skilled care facility. Additionally, 80 independent living domiciliary rooms will be created. This upgrade will modernize the campus and provide a cost effective, state-of-the-art facility with single occupancy rooms and a more intimate setting for Illinois’ veterans needing skilled nursing care.

“Paired with our state Rebuild Illinois capital program, this federal funding will make our state-of-the-art renovation at Illinois’ oldest veteran home possible, with the modernized Quincy facility on track for completion in 2024,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This funding comes as we open the brand new veterans’ home in Chicago, another critical investment in the infrastructure that supports our national heroes. I want to applaud Senators Duckworth and Durbin for helping to secure these funds and offer my gratitude to our federal partners for this next step in Quincy’s construction.”
“This grant allows Illinois to continue leading the nation in caring for its veterans,” said IDVA Director Terry Prince. “Our veterans’ homes offer high-quality care delivered by skilled and compassionate medical professionals and staff. Enhancing our campuses and infrastructure allow us to continue providing the nursing care our veterans deserve for this generation and generations to come.”
This grant represents a federal-state partnership between the federal VA, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Capital Development Board, who will oversee building construction. The federal VA covers 65% of the total cost of the $299,635,000 project while the state of Illinois is responsible for the 35% balance. The federal funds require up-front state expenditures, which are then reimbursed. State funding for this project is made possible by Rebuild Illinois, Governor Pritzker’s historic bipartisan capital plan.
The project is currently 22% complete. The Domiciliary (independent living) is scheduled for completion in June 2023 and the Long-Term Care Building (LTC) will be ready to accept residents by March 2024. The completion of the project including the Nielson renovation, site work, and final punch list items is targeted for the end of 2024.
Built in 1886, Quincy is the oldest Illinois veterans’ home and sits on 210 acres along the Mississippi River. Its 37 buildings were built between 1886 and 2002, and many are now in need of major repair and upgrades. The Quincy construction project considered the long-term vision of the Veterans’ Home’s core purpose and functions, while preserving and improving the overall character of the campus environment.
The Quincy construction project represents the Pritzker Administration’s continued investment in Illinois’ veterans, including the recent opening of the $121 million veterans’ home in Chicago with the capacity to care for up to 200 veterans.