Gov. Maura Healey speaks during the topping off ceremony for the new Holyoke Veterans Home.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
HOLYOKE – U.S. Rep. Richard Neal compared his view of the new Holyoke Veterans Home as he came down route 91 heading to the city to a phoenix rising from the ashes, saying it showcases how “astounding” the milestone being celebrated was for the community.
“The tragedy that occurred here cannot be swept under the rug. We all know what happened,” Neal (D-Springfield) said. “This is a terrific day. The commitment that we made when we send them [veterans] off, has to be honored when we bring them home. And it’s that quality of life that they have at this facility. I can tell you this: this facility made national headlines for the wrong reasons. Today, it’s going to make national headlines — because of all of you — for the right reasons.”
In celebration of a significant milestone in the construction process Gov. Maura Healey and Neal, along with various state and local officials, gathered at the Holyoke Veterans Home for a topping off ceremony on Nov. 7.
During the ceremony builders placed the final beam on the new building. The symbolic moment marks significant process for the project which the Healey administration has helped secure millions of federal funding for.
Healey called the day a pleasure to be a part of and was impressed with the scale of work completed to bring the project to its topping off ceremony. She added the celebration was for the milestone in the buildings construction and is notice of the transformation of veterans’ services the state is hoping to lead.
“Our service members, our veterans and their families, make possibly all the freedoms and all the joys that we experience today as Americans and we must always remember that and always honor that,” Healey said. “Every day we should be thanking and commemorating the men and women who have served.”
Healey also noted later during her remarks much credit to the various union workers involved with the building’s construction. She added the topping off ceremony continued the ahead of schedule pace of the project.
When the building is finished it will house more than 230 long-term care patients and staff will be increased by over 30%. Construction started in August 2023 and is currently ahead of schedule. The project is slated to finish in late 2026.
Healey credited Neal for spearheading efforts to secure $263 million from federal VA funding toward the building project, as well as Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago for his role as state secretary of Veterans Services and the efforts in transforming veterans’ services across the commonwealth.
“We know what transpired during the pandemic. My heart goes out to families who are heartbroken, to caregivers who did all that they could during what was a very difficult time,” Healey said. “This is a new chapter today. A world class facility protecting and serving veterans the way they protected and served this country. We are committed every single day in our administration to doing everything we can to support our veterans and support our military service members.”
Santiago, a veteran, joked you could almost see the new building’s framing from Boston.
“It’s been a historic achievement for the administration over the course of this past year and a half. It’s my honor to represent the governor and the LG as the first secretary of veterans’ services,” Santiago said. “We are transforming veterans services in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. We are ushering a new era of services, and I can promise you that we’re investing more in veterans that we ever have before and we’re engaging veterans more than ever, and that’s because of Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. [Kim] Driscoll.”
State Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) said the milestone reached was a long time coming. He credited colleagues for their efforts making a new home a possibility.
“Thank God for the blood sweat and tears of our veterans and our service members, and the undeniable reality of this facility is that blood sweat and tears contributed to why we’re here today,” Velis said.
Velis cited the low percentage of active military members and called it one of the biggest crises in the country not spoken about enough. He added it was important for the state to act and prove to young people on the fence about serving that the government.
“What’s one way we can look young men and young women in the eye and encourage them to go fight for this country knowing full well they might not come back? This. We can do stuff like this,” Velis said.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia said the construction of the new home was a pledge of support from leaders to veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made.
“Honor is what the Veterans Home is about,” Garcia said. “The heroes residing at the Holyoke Veterans Home are part of an unbroken chain of men and women who have served this country with honor, and with distinction.”
