$400 million bond bill for new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home clears 2nd legislative committee
Updated 5:00 AM;
HOLYOKE With just six days to go before a deadline to apply for federal financing for a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, a $400 million bond bill cleared its second legislative committee Friday.
The Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets polled its 21 members Friday afternoon and the bill passed by a wide margin. The milestone cleared the way for the proposal’s debate by the full House next week, according to state Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, second assistant majority leader.
“I am comfortable that we are moving this along a timeline that will allow us to make a timely application to the federal government for funding for this reconstruction project,” Wagner said.
$400M bond bill is a key step toward building a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
Updated Feb 11, 2021;
BOSTON The Baker administration on Thursday filed a $400 million bond bill to forge ahead with construction of a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.
The bill, “An Act Financing the Reconstruction of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke,” is the first step in securing financing for a new building to replace the 70-year-old veterans’ care facility on Cherry Street.
The state-run nursing home was particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 76 veterans died at an alarming pace between March and June. Dozens more tested positive, along with more than 80 staff, some of whom have testified they were traumatized by trying to keep up with the death toll and care for the sick.