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Virginia Beach devotes land for potential Veterans Care Center

Posted at 7:43 PM, Nov 07, 2014
and last updated 2014-11-07 19:43:25-05

Virginia Beach, Va. (WTKR) - Veterans who need long-term nursing care or rehabilitation might soon find a facility suited to their needs in Virginia Beach.

House Bill 1275 was filed in July and is co-sponsored by Virginia Beach Delegate Chris Stolle.

It would designate funding for the Hampton Roads Veterans Care Center by allocating Virginia Public Building Authority Bonds.

While the bill doesn't specify where in Hampton Roads the center would be built, Virginia Beach city leaders recently took action and voted to reserve a parcel of city land for the project.

Virginia Beach is currently looking at land near the Municipal Center at the corner of West Neck Road and Nimmo Parkway.

Under a resolution approved by the Virginia Beach City Council, the city is providing the land, but the project would be paid for through a mix of state and federal dollars.

Del. Stolle says he's confident that the 35% of state funding - which amounts to approximately $28.5 million - can be secured.

"Whether that support is still there from the federal government is still up in the air a little bit. We are still pushing for funding from the federal government, we will continue to push for that, hopefully that will come through in a timely manner," he told NewsChannel 3's Todd Corillo Friday.

"There are a lot of veterans in this area and having those resources available to veterans - easily accessible by the veterans and their families -  I think is really important to Hampton Roads," he added.

In addition to building a center in Virginia Beach, state lawmakers are also looking at two locations in Prince William County to build a Northern Virginia Care Center.