HOLYOKE, MASS. (WHDH) - A project building a new Home for Heroes location in Holyoke is running ahead of schedule.
A topping off ceremony for the veterans home was held on Thursday, with steel workers placing the final beam on top of the building.
The original plans called for the home to be finished in the summer of 2028, but now officials anticipate veterans moving in by 2027.
The old Holyoke soldiers home was the site of one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks at a senior car center in the country.
More than 75 veterans who lived there died in 2020.
Governor Maura Healey was among the leaders on hand Thursday to mark the next step in providing care to the state’s veterans.
“We know what transpired during the pandemic,” Healey said. “My heart goes out to families who were heartbroken to caregivers who were doing all that they could. It was a hard time but this is a new chapter today. This is a world class facility protecting and serving veterans the way they protected and served our country.”
The project’s cost is over $400 million. When complete, it will provide long-term care for 234 veterans.
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