Page 50 - BusinessWest December 8, 2025

BW Cutline 23
facility, he noted, but building new emerged as the more
practical option. And while another site may have been
considered, the state became committed to keeping the
facility at its prominent hilltop location, a popular deci-
sion, but one that has presented challenges to the build-
ers of the new facility as they squeezed it onto the site
— and will present more to those that will tear down the
current home.
Indeed, when finished, one corner of the new home
will be just 10 feet from the current facility, which will
eventually be used for parking and a garden area.
The new facility will house 234 residents, almost
double the current population of 128. There will be 212
single-occupancy bedrooms and 11 double-occupancy
bedrooms in those three neighborhoods mentioned ear-
lier: North House, East House, and West House.
These neighborhoods, which will house veterans
of several different conflicts (including World War II)
and peacetime periods as well, represent substantial
improvements over current facilities, said Lazo, espe-
cially in the realms of privacy and dignity of residents —
each unit has a private bath and showers, while the cur-
rent facility features common baths — as well as activi-
ties and things to do.
“The space for veterans is great,” Lazo said. “Each
veteran has a good-sized room, and there’s plenty of
activity space, both on the first floor as well as in each
individual unit. Each floor will have a different activity;
we’ll have an exercise bike or some small weights on one
floor and arts supplies on the next floor, so veterans will
be able to move about the building to do whatever activ-
ity they’re interested in at that time.”
And then,
there will be the
so-called great
room, which
“Each veteran
has a good-sized
room, and there’s
plenty of activity
space, both on
the first floor as
well as in each
individual unit.”
Veterans
Continued on page 52 >>
Can You Dethrone Dina?
50
DECEMBER 8, 2025
MONTHLY FEATURE Business W est