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State budget includes funding for D.J. Jacobetti Home resplacement

MARQUETTE — Michigan Veteran Homes has released details of the fiscal year 2022-23 budget, which includes $34.2 million in state funding for the construction of a new state veteran home to replace the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.

Replacement of the D.J. Jacobetti home in Marquette stems from recommendations developed by a 2016 work group, convened to assess the provision of long-term care services to veterans in the state’s veteran homes, the state said in a news release. Michigan recently completed the first phase in the execution of the work group’s vision, which included the construction of two new veteran homes — a Macomb County facility in southeast Michigan and another in west Michigan to replace the aging veterans facility in Grand Rapids.

The work group — comprising health care experts, veteran stakeholders and legislators — recommended transformation of Michigan’s care model for state veteran homes, to include the construction of home-like facilities that focus on personalized care and community. The D.J. Jacobetti replacement will be similar in design to the recently completed homes in Macomb County and Grand Rapids, incorporating award-winning best practices in long-term care design and construction.

“The building on Fisher Street has been a home to Upper Peninsula veterans for 41 years, with the staff and volunteers making it a true Home. Now that tradition can continue in a new building with a modern design that provides five-star services with the same loving care,” said Brad Slagle, retired administrator for the D.J. Jacobetti Home and current board member for the Michigan Veteran Homes, in a news release.

The new home will serve more than 100 veteran residents who will live in “neighborhoods” that provide each member with their own bedroom and bathroom, and common gathering and kitchen spaces. These neighborhoods will connect to a community center with clinical and therapeutic services, MVH said. The facility also will include amenities like a barbershop and salon, a large space for full member and community meetings, and courtyards and green spaces.

The support provided by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature ensures Michigan’s continued ability to provide critical long-term care services to Upper Peninsula veterans, Slagle said.

The total estimated project cost for the new home is $97.6 million, funded with $34.2 million in state funding and an anticipated 65% match of $63.6 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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