Major Renovations Begin at Boston Homeless Veterans Facility

BOSTON—Construction has begun on the $31-millon renovation of the New England Center for Homeless Veterans facility in Downtown Boston. The project will expand housing as well as much-needed support services at the historic building.

Initial work on the redevelopment project, which will take 18 months to complete, began in April but has since ramped up to full-scale construction, NECHV president and CEO Andrew McCawley tells Globest.com.

Last week a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony was staged for the project at the center's 10-story 135,000-square-foot building at 17 Court St. Among the dignitaries on hand were: U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Gov. Charles D. Baker, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz.

McCawley says that the public and private financing for the project has closed and is now in place. Financing for the renovation and building modernization project comes from federal, state and historic tax credits and federal low income housing tax credits. Public sources include the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Mass Housing, U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as construction loans from Citi and the Life Initiative. The project has also received funds from private donors and foundations.

Approximately $17 million in federal low income and historic tax credits were offered through syndicator Boston Capital and were purchased by Citi Community Capital, the community development lending and investing group of Citi. The Life Initiative is providing bridge financing against the state historic tax credits and the pledged, but not yet received, funds from the center's private capital campaign. The planning for the project that is now underway took about two-and-a-half years, McCawley says.

Some of the key elements of the renovation project include: the creation of 38 new, and specially designed supportive housing units for veterans, including a dedicated floor to house female veterans; the renovation of 59 existing supportive housing units for veterans; and the building of 200 units of brand new transitional housing for veterans.

Other key elements include renovations to three floors of the building totaling more than 50,000 square feet. The project will create a new state-of-the-art Veterans Training School that will deliver life and vocational education and employment services, and space for clinical, social service, community support, housing and other veterans' services.

The initiative will result in the restoration of one of Boston's historic buildings that will utilize sustainable and green construction methods, including the reuse of materials. The project will upgrade the building to a LEED Silver certifiable level.

The results of the renovation will also reflect a shift in Veteran demographics, NECHV officials say, noting that the center currently 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.

“We are grateful to all our public and private partners who have made this project possible,” McCawley says. “When completed in 18 months, the project will ensure that the NECHV can continue to serve veterans in the most effective way, into the future.”

He adds that when completed, “We will have a sustainable and robust resource for veterans at a great location for the rest of the century, literally for generations into the future.”

“The presence of the New England Center for Homeless Veterans in the heart of our city means so much,” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh at last week's groundbreaking. “They ensure that we never forget the needs of our Veterans, and that we never put our veterans' sacrifices on the back burner. The center understands that struggling veterans need more than a roof over their heads; they need supportive services as well. They have been a crucial partner in our citywide challenge to end veterans' homelessness in the City of Boston, and we are grateful to them for their commitment.”

“Our veterans and their families have made incredible sacrifices to serve this country and protect our freedoms,” added Gov. Baker. “It is up to us to ensure access to the proper care and support they deserve when returning home and long after. This public-private partnership is essential to our mission, giving homeless veterans safe shelter and supporting access to sustainable, affordable housing.”

The center on average provides transitional housing to approximately 1,000 veterans a year and another 500 veterans are served in the community. On any night, the center provides overnight housing to approximately 300 veterans, about 60 in permanent housing accommodations at the center and another 240 in transitional units or emergency housing, McCawley says.

The project is taking longer than normal because operations will continue during construction and therefore will necessitate the work be performed in phases. Veterans have been served at the more than 100-year-old building for the past 25 years by the NECHV. The former Old Colony Trust Building at 17 Court St. opened as a U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in 1947.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc. of Milford, MA, is the general contractor for the project and Pinck & Co. Inc. of Boston is the project manager.