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Arlington & Lakeland’s Community Newspaper
theview
.com
August 2016
It’s Official: Site of Future West Tennessee State
Veterans Home Announced
Ceremony Marks Transfer of Deed for Former Arlington Developmental Center Site
Special to THE VIEW 38002
On
June
29,
Tennessee
Department of Veterans Services
Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder,
Department
of
Intellectual
Developmental
Disabilities
Commissioner Debra Payne and
Department of General Services
Deputy Commissioner John Hull in
partnership with Tennessee State
Veterans Home Executive Director
Ed Harries formally announced the
site of the future West Tennessee
State Veterans Home at 11293
Memphis Arlington Road in
Arlington. Senate Majority Leader
Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and
Representative Ron Lollar (RBartlett) support the milestone
announcement made in their district.
“More than 214,000 Tennessee
Veterans are over the age of 65 years
old, which is 42 percent of our state’s
Veteran population,” Grinder said.
“We are fortunate to have four
existing Tennessee State Veterans
Homes, but we know more of these
Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner ManyBears Grinder spoke about the need for a state Veterans Home in
the Memphis area. According to the West Tennessee Veterans
Home, Inc., over 70,000 veterans live in Shelby, Tipton, and
Fayette Counties. Photo by Jim Larkin.
high-quality resources are needed to
serve our aging Veteran population.
Shelby County has the largest
Veteran
population in the
state
which
exceeds 56,000
Veterans.”
On Monday, June
27, Governor Bill
Haslam signed
the Transfer of
Jurisdiction for
28.65 acres from
the Department
of
Intellectual
and
Developmental
Disabilities to the
Department
of
Veterans Services
for the purpose of
Standing before the future site of the West
Tennessee Veterans Home are (left to right)
establishing the
Arlington Mayor Mike Wissman, Commissioner
West Tennessee
Many-Bears Grinder, TN Dept. of Veterans
State
Veterans
Services, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris,
Home.
The
Commissioner Debra Payne, TN Dept of
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,
transfer included
Executive Director Ed Harries, TN State Veterans
an
Homes and Deputy Commissioner John M. Hull TN
interdepartmental
Dept. of General Services. Photo by Jim Larkin.
payment of $380,000 for the parcel
previously used for a portion of the
former Arlington Developmental
Center.
“This transfer is a win-win both
for Tennessee’s veterans and people
with disabilities,” Payne said. “The
proceeds from this transfer will go
into a trust fund that will benefit
West Tennesseans with intellectual
disabilities, further supporting them
to pursue fulfilling and rewarding
lives.”
The future facility is planned to
include 144 beds and is expected to
cost $70,000,000. Construction of
the project is contingent on the
availability of federal funding from
the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) State Home
Construction
Grants
Program.
Federal funding is required to pay for
65 percent of construction costs with
the remaining 35 percent coming
from combined state and local funds.
“The State of Tennessee is
committed to establish a State
Veterans Home in West Tennessee,”
Norris said.
“Local support
Continued on page 5
Inside this edition...
Happenings, p.2
New Retail Development in Arlington, p. 4
Season’s Square Phase 1, architectural
rendering
School News, starts on p. 6
View from 38002, p. 12