Southern Oregon seeks veterans' home
Monday, January 18, 2010
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Backers of an effort to bring a state-supported veterans' home to the Rogue Valley need a lot of money in a short amount of time.
Oregon's lone veterans home is in The Dalles, but the state Department of Veterans Affairs is looking for a place to build a second one.
Under its guidelines, applicants must come up with matching funds equaling 35 percent of the total project's cost. That's $15 million.
Jackson County Commissioner C.W. Smith, an Air Force veteran who supports the project, says coming up with that much money by the Feb. 16 application deadline is "the $64,000 question."
Supporters of the effort say the region could see a good return on a $15 million investment.
Aside from boosting the construction industry, the 250-bed home would add $10 million in annual wages to the local economy.
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
