200 Room Cleveland Veteran’s Home Moving Forward

CLEVELAND, TN, (WDEF)-Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland says he and his team have done all they can including committing 2 million dollars to a new veteran’s home and believes ground could be broken  by 2015 or early 2016.

"By the state, the state’s real estate division as far as the actually property is concerned the anonymous donor who has already donated 4 million dollars has been deposited"
 
Rowland, himself a veteran says Bradley County alone has close to 8000 veterans and the community is ready to start construction at this location off Westland Drive.

"One question that came up early in the process, do you have a lot of folks that will help in the home and volunteer, that’s not going to be a problem in our community because folks are ready to help the veterans"

Those in the planning stages say designs for the building may change but the aim is to house more than 200 veterans not only from Cleveland but across East Tennessee.

Larry McDaris, Director Bradley County Veteran Service Office says,"They will be in modules of about ten people with single rooms and baths, they will have a common area a little area where they can prepare snacks"

McDaris added having a new retirement home has been a priority since 2003 and is glad for the support from local and state officials.

"The state has submitted the budget document for our home and the VA has accepted that"

Architects the Lewis Group in Knoxville are currently revising  plans for the facility.

McDaris says once another Veteran’s facility is completed in Clarksville they hope construction can start for their center.