NECHV Completes Major Renovation

(l-r) State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry; Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo; Governor Charles D. Baker; NECHV Board Chair and President and CEO of Commodore Builders, Joseph J. Albanese; Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh; NECHV President and CEO Andrew McCawley; and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch

Boston – The New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV) held a ceremonial ribbon cutting to mark the completion of its $35 million Permanent Supportive Housing Renovation and Construction Project, an extensive renovation and reconfiguration of the center’s facility in Downtown Boston.

The 24-month project at the NECHV’s 10-story building at 17 Court Street created a new and reimagined facility for veterans. It is a sustainable and adaptable, state-of-the-art building, capable of serving veterans of all eras that may experience challenges in their lives. Among its key features, the project:

  •  Created 37 new, permanent supportive housing units for veterans and renovated 60 existing supportive housing units for veterans.
  •  Built 180 beds of brand-new transitional housing for veterans, including a separate, specially designed female veteran dormitory.
  •  Created more than 65,000sf of new veteran service spaces, including a new state-of-the-art veterans training school for education and employment services and a veteran health and wellness clinical, social service, community, housing, and critical support to veterans.
  •  Renovated and restored one of Boston’s historic buildings.
  •  Used sustainable and green construction methods, including reuse of materials, and upgraded the building to a LEED Silver certifiable level, resulting in an energy-efficient and sustainable facility.

The project builds on a 28-year legacy of service to veterans at the NECHV and continues a tradition of support to those who have served that began in 1947 when the former Old Colony Trust Building at 17 Court Street opened as a U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc. of Milford was the general contractor for the project, and Pinck & Co. Inc. of Boston was the project manager. A full union construction project, it employed 80 to 100 tradesmen at the site daily for the entire duration of the project.

The results of the renovation also reflect a shift in veteran demographics: The center now supports a growing number of younger and female veterans. Almost one-quarter of the center’s residents are veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, and the number of women is projected to double in the next two decades.

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Project funding is from an array of public and private sources including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Boston, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and equity funding and financial backing from Citi Community Capital and The Life Initiative, as well as the generosity of many private donors and foundations.

“We are grateful to all our public and private partners who have made this project possible,” said Mr. McCawley.  “The completion of this project ensures that the NECHV can continue to effectively provide critical services to veterans for years to come.”

“I’m proud that this redevelopment helped create safe and affordable housing for veterans,” said Mayor Walsh. “Helping the homeless is a personal issue for me, and I know that through working with the New England Center and Home for veterans and Boston’s Way Home, Boston will never turn its back on our veterans in need. As we ended chronic veterans’ homelessness here in Boston, it was critical partnerships like these that produced such positive results. I thank each and every partner for ensuring caring for those who have given so much to our City, Commonwealth, and country is a top priority.”

“Our veterans and their families have made incredible sacrifices to serve our nation and I am pleased that the Commonwealth will open this newly renovated facility to offer the care and services they deserve,” said Governor Baker. “The collaboration between the state, federal government, and public-private partnerships was essential in making this project possible, so that veterans can ultimately return to sustainable, affordable housing.”

“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Baker, Mayor Walsh, Senate President Rosenberg, and Speaker DeLeo, the New England Center and Home for Veterans will continue to be an important resource for our local veterans for years to come. From supportive housing for veterans who have fallen on hard times to education and job training, the center plays an important role in assisting with the transition to civilian life and ensuring veterans receive the quality of care that they have earned,” said Congressman Lynch