A Bemidji veterans home has been in the work for over a decade. Groundbreaking on the project is expected sometime in the next two months.

Three new veterans’ homes have been approved in Minnesota. One of those homes will be coming to Bemidji under a process that started in 2003.

The new home will cost $45.5 million in total, with a construction budget of $38.2 million. The building will be just over 80,000 square feet and will be located on the north side of Bemidji near the Sanford Health Campus on Anne Street. It will be built with the needs of veterans in mind.

The facility will accommodate 72 residents. They will be split into four sections that are referred to as households. The veterans home will also feature amenities including a café, theater, barber, meditation room, and therapy space.

The groundbreaking is expected to be sometime in the last week of August or the first week in September of this year. The estimated date for the facility to open will be June of 2023.

By — Betsy Melin