State Veterans Site In Rocky Hill Getting $5.1M In Improvements

ROCKY HILL, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont Thursday announced the State of Connecticut is releasing more than $5.1 million in state funding for additional renovations and improvements to building infrastructure at the campus of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill.

These funds, which were approved last week at a meeting of the State Bond Commission, include:

• $4.3 million to build a second boiler for heat and hot water on the campus, which currently only has one operating boiler.

• $801,440 for multiple safety and security upgrades across the campus that will be matched by $1,272,960 in federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

This combined funding will support: New security gate arms at the campus entrance; a new gate house to eliminate personnel cross traffic; new security cameras; a campus-wide mass notification system; door locks and controls for residential facility wings; panic alert systems; security access systems; and an operations/information center to monitor all life safety and energy management systems.

Services provided on the campus include residential care, long-term skilled nursing care and other types of assistance needed by the state’s veterans and their families.

More than 200 veterans and five families currently live on the campus.

“We need to do everything we can to improve education, health, housing, and employment opportunities for veterans,” said Lamont, who serves as chairman of the State Bond Commission. “The campus in Rocky Hill has been supporting residential and nursing services to our state’s veterans since 1940, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure that these facilities remain in good repair so that our veterans and their families continue to have the support they deserve. They served our country with dignity and honor, and these investments demonstrate the state’s ongoing commitment to support veterans and service members.”

“It is important that we recognize and give thanks to our state’s dedicated veterans who have helped to maintain the freedom and liberties that are at the core of our democracy,” said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

“My thanks to Director of Projects and Operations Joe Danao, Fiscal Administrative Manager Briana Mitchell, and their respective teams for all the hard work to make this happen,” Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Thomas J. Saadi said. “Also, many thanks to Gov. Lamont and the members of the State Bond Commission for supporting these projects, and to Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes and her team for the extraordinary coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs on the boiler and energy efficiency project funding.”

For the full announcement, click on this link.