After years of delay due to the budget impasse, the Chicago Veterans’ Home hit a major construction milestone, with Gov. JB Pritzker joining federal, state and local officials for a topping off ceremony at the site. Construction crews placed a 6,000-pound precast slab atop the 200-bed facility, completing the last major structural component of the building. The Chicago Veterans’ Home will be the fifth Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs facility providing long-term skilled care and services to our nation’s heroes. The project broke ground on September 21, 2014, but suffers years of delay due to the budget impasse under the previous administration, despite significant public pressure and legislative effort to continue construction of the vital facility. It is now scheduled to open in December 2019. The IDVA long-term care facility will include 200 private bedrooms and private bathrooms, 16 residential kitchens, a commercial kitchen, administrative, recreational, and support spaces, outdoor space and parking for 181 vehicles. The completed building will be LEED Silver Certified. The 187,000 square-foot, 5-story precast concrete veterans’ home is located at the southwest corner of West Forest Preserve Road and North Oak Park Avenue.