The Chatter 2021

A New Home for Maine’s Vets

Cianbro team members come together to build a veterans’ care facility unlike any other in the country

Historically, care facilities that serve U.S. veterans have been clinical and uninviting, borrowing more from the model of assisted-living facilities or hospitals than providing our veterans with an environment that actually feels like home. That is beginning to change. Soon, Maine Veterans’ Homes will welcome more than 130 residents to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Augusta, Maine.

“The approach for this complex is more about building a sense of community,” said Brett Dyer, Project Superintendent. “Maine Veterans’ Homes is designed to enhance the quality of life for our veterans when they need it most, and a lot of that is simply empowering them to work through everyday life activities, visit with their family outside or in the spacious common areas, and chat with their next-door neighbor.”

The facility truly feels like home for veterans seeking rehabilitative services or long-term care. A joint venture for Cianbro and VJS Construction Services, the $73.5 million Maine Veterans’ Homes project consists of a new 179,475-square-foot four-building complex that merges three two-story assisted living residential houses and a community center. At the heart of the community center is an indoor “Main Street” complete with business facades to keep residents in the habit of performing everyday activities using amenities such as a movie theater, bank, bistro, barbershop, and a common space to meet with family and guests. Outside, residents can find a putting green, a tranquil pond, and outdoor patios overlooking the property.

The new Maine Veterans’ Homes facility was built with its residents in mind, and includes:

• Access to laundry, kitchen, dining and living room area

• Bathrooms with slip-resistant flooring

• Nurse call in each room

• Resident hoist in ADA-accessible rooms that will trolley into restrooms

• Wander management within the Memory Care facility

Breaking ground in February 2019, the project required roughly 200 team members and subcontractors at its peak, averaging well over 120 per day. Cianbro/VJS Construction utilized the Last Planner® System of Production Control to manage the project, helping identify the critical path of activities to meet deadlines.

“It has taken a lot of hours and a lot of hard work by the Cianbro/VJS team, as well as all the subcontractors, to complete this project,” said Dyer, noting that 95 percent of the subcontractors were Maine-based. “Ultimately, though, we can all look back – having put in the time and persevered through the pandemic – and see that the work we did has truly made a difference. This facility is one of a kind, redefining how we care for our veterans and setting a new bar for other veteran assistance facilities in the country.”