Governor Walz joins veterans and community leaders to dedicate new veterans home in Preston

(ABC 6 News) — Governor Tim Walz today joined veterans and community leaders to officially dedicate the new veterans home in Preston. The home came to fruition after more than a decade of advocacy and planning and two years of construction.

“I am honored to dedicate and showcase the state’s newest veterans home in Preston,” said Governor Walz via a press release. “Our veterans have made considerable sacrifices to protect our state and country, and it is now our turn to take care of them. I am grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and everyone who has worked tirelessly to build these crucially needed homes and create the spaces our veterans deserve.”

“Our residents deserve the very best,” says Brad Lindsay, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) via a press release. “The facility is absolutely beautiful, and we were thrilled to collaborate with our veterans and the community to make this happen. This dedication marks a meaningful day for all of southeastern Minnesota. It’s the embodiment of our mission to serve Minnesota Veterans and their families with the benefits they’ve earned.”

In addition to Preston, MDVA opened two other Minnesota Veterans Homes – one in Montevideo and the other in Bemidji – earlier this year. Minnesota is the only state to build and open three Veterans Homes at one time. The three new Homes will allow Minnesota to serve almost 200 more Veterans needing skilled nursing care as they age.

Wold Architects and Engineers, a St. Paul-based architectural and engineering firm with health care and senior living design expertise, led the designs. The Home centers around a residential skilled care model and embodies the principles of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) small house design guide.

“We are honored to be a part of a project that gives back to those who have risked their lives for our country,” says Sara Malin, Principal at Wold Architects and Engineers via a press release. “After meeting with the local veterans to understand what is unique to their community, we landed on a design that encourages community use and has space for large family visits, a unique aspect to the family structures of the veterans that live in this region.”

To be accepted for admission, residents must be:

• Discharged under honorable conditions from any branch of the U.S. armed forces and a current resident of Minnesota, who served 181 consecutive days on active duty, unless discharged earlier because of disability incurred in the line of duty.
• The spouse of an eligible veteran who is at least 55 years old and meets residency requirements.
• Able to demonstrate a medical or clinical need for skilled nursing care.

County Veterans Service Officers are available to assist future residents with the admission application process. Admissions inquiries can also be emailed to NewHomesAdmissions@state.mn.us.

To learn more about joining the employee team and working with veterans in Preston, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/Careers.