The $482.8-million Veterans Home in Holyoke, Mass., is advancing ahead of schedule, Gov. Maura Healey said Nov. 7 as crews placed the final steel beam and the team held a topping out ceremony.

Commodore | Walsh, a joint venture of Waltham, Mass.-based Commodore Builders Inc. and Boston-based Walsh Brothers Inc., is replacing the 72-year-old Holyoke Soldiers Home, which is adjacent to the new building, with a 350,000-sq-ft, eight-story facility designed by Boston-based Payette. Work started last year, and the project ranked No. 5 on the ENR New England Top Starts 2023. 

The home provides long-term care services to military veterans.

In 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak in the facility killed at least 76 people, resulting in an investigation and $56 million settlement.

The new, larger home is being built to U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ “small house model” specifications, breaking the 234-bed facility into smaller communities with 10-14 residents each with the goal of avoiding a similar situation, as well as making it feel less institutional for its residents. 

The team, which is working under a project labor agreement, has “not only met, but surpassed state goals for contracting and hiring workers, including workers of color, women and veterans,” Healey added during a speech. 

Substantial completion of the new building is anticipated in 2026, followed by final completion that includes restoring the site of the old veterans’ home by the summer of 2028. 

“Seeing the final steel beam makes me reflect on the work that’s been done since we broke ground just 16 months ago,” said Richard Walsh, president and CEO of Walsh Bros.

Work is 28% complete, Walsh said. Crews have spent 173,000 labor hours putting $112 million worth of work into place so far, including 4,000 tons of steel and 150 geothermal wells. With topping out complete, the number of workers on site each day will increase from about 150 to upwards of 450 people, he added. 

The geothermal wells are for a geothermal heating/cooling system with variable refrigerant flow. State officials say the facility is designed to meet LEED Gold standards. The design also features a high-efficiency building envelope with triple-glazed windows and building systems made for energy efficiency.

The project, which is owned by the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, is partially funded with $263.5 million from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.