A replacement for the now-shuttered state-run nursing home for veterans in Fayetteville could bring residents back onto familiar ground for many: Fort Bragg.
Congressman Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican, has filed a bill to give the state a tract of about 20 acres of federal land that's now part of the north end of the sprawling base where it dips into Hoke County.
The North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates four other nursing homes around the state, which are for veterans who need around-the-clock care.
The previous veterans home in Fayetteville closed in 2024 after it was found to have serious structural problems and other issues related to water damage.
The decision to close it triggered complaints from some family members when the 85 residents were forced to move out. The closure also drew criticism from some members of the legislature who grilled department officials about why it was closed rather than simply repaired.
In 2025, department leaders said they were recommending renovation. But state Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette said in an interview this week that after a careful evaluation of the condition of the previous home and site it was on, it became obvious that the facility should be replaced, and at a different location.
"We (worked) with certain contractors who have the expertise that we don't and also worked with our state construction office to undergo a series of comprehensive assessments of the current site," she said. "And after those assessments, we determined that the strongest long-term option for our veterans is to build a new safe and modernized facility that's close to the community they know best, which is Fort Bragg."
Hudson, a Republican whose district includes parts of the base and Fayetteville, and Mallette, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, were quick to compliment each other for the way the project is being handled.
Hudson said it was an easy decision to get involved.
"Our community has one of the largest veterans population in the country, so when the state reached out to me about building a veterans home near Fort Bragg, I told them I'd get to work," he said.
The state legislature has budgeted $40 million toward construction costs. Mallette said that could provide crucial matching money to help win a federal grant for up to 65% of the cost of the project, which is expected to exceed $100 million.
The plans are far from finalized, and the ultimate design would depend on funding, Mallet said. But it's likely to shift to single-occupancy rooms, which is what the federal Department of Veterans Affairs wants in new veterans homes, instead of double-occupancy rooms. The old home had 150 beds and the replacement will probably have between 100 and 150 beds.
"We're also exploring whether we would have a wing of adult daycare," Mallette said. "That is another innovative step that folks are looking towards with new state veterans homes to relieve some of the stress off of caregivers. So we're looking at several different options in terms of what this new home could look like, and we haven't made any decisions yet."
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