The Chelsea Soldiers’ Home construction project will begin in earnest this week as fences are expected to go up around most of Malone Park.
Supt. Cheryl Poppe told the Record that the construction fence is scheduled to go up any day on about two-thirds of Malone Park, with about one-third of the park on the western edge to remain open.
“About two-thirds of the park will be fenced off and one-third will stay open,” she said. “That will help us start the drainage work, the geothermal wells and the parking lot. I want to make sure everyone knows what is happening with the project and that they can use the park one last time before it is closed off.”
The project will be the replacement of the old Quigley Memorial Hospital with a new Community Living Center for veterans. The $199 million project is a partnership between the federal and state government and represents one of the largest expenditures for long-term veterans care in the history of the state.