Quinn kicks off work on first Chicago veterans’ home

Flanked by veterans and elected officials, Gov. Pat Quinn broke ground Sunday on what will be the first assisted-living home in Chicago for military veterans.

Illinois has four assisted-living veterans’ homes, but Quinn noted the Chicago region — where 60 percent of the state’s veterans live — does not have one.

When completed in 2016, the five-story, $70.5 million facility on the city’s Northwest Side will house about 200 veterans, according to Quinn’s office. About 40 rooms will be specifically designated for veterans with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“Abraham Lincoln, who came from our state, said during the Civil War that it’s the duty of all of us on the homefront to take good care of those who have borne the battle,” Quinn said during the ceremony.

Construction on the 7.8-acre site near Oak Park Avenue and Forest Preserve Drive will begin in October.

Illinois will pay for construction, but the state will be eligible for federal reimbursement on 65 percent of costs, Quinn’s office said.

Veterans of foreign conflicts who are from Illinois or have lived in the state for at least a year will be eligible. Peacetime veterans who served at least a year and were honorably discharged also qualify.

Veterans will pay for their single-occupancy rooms on a sliding scale based on their ability to pay, according to the state.