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Grand Rapids could get a new $49 million home for veterans, if city commission approves it

Sign in front of Grand Rapids Home for Veterans
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The Grand Rapids City Commission is scheduled to vote on whether to approve plans for a new veterans' home.

The city’s planning commission voted to approve the $49 million home for military veterans last week.

The current home houses about 260 people, but the new one would only house around 130 vets.

Daniel Waun, a spokesman at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, says no one would be forced to move out of the old building.

“Yes, it's fewer rooms, it's fewer beds, but no veteran is going to lose their place in a sense. Nobody's going to get forced out,” Waun said.

Waun says the plan is to build another veterans home in southeast Michigan.

“Even longer term, to build homes in Saginaw Bay area and Northern Michigan and eventually to replace the one in the U.P. as well. And those are longer, longer term goals,” he said.

Waun says if everything goes according to plan, the new Grand Rapids facility will open in the fall of 2020.

City Commission is scheduled to vote on the plan at its February 6 meeting.

Bryce Huffman was Michigan Radio’s West Michigan Reporter and host of Same Same Different. He is currently a reporter for Bridge Detroit.
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