VIRGINIA BEACH — Construction of the state’s newest veterans care center named after two Southside vets is underway following a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe joined Mayor Will Sessoms and other state and local officials to break ground on the new Jones and Cabacoy Veterans Care Center which will be located at Princess Anne Commons area of Virginia Beach.
“The Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center is one of the new centers that will serve those who’ve bravely worn our nation’s uniform,” McAuliffe said in a press release. “As governor, I promised to make Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the nation and, thanks to the hard work of my team and our many partners, I’m proud to say we’ve kept that promise today.”
The 128-bed facility will specialize in caring for patients with chronic illnesses and conditions and provide long-term nursing care and short-term rehabilitation.
The center will feature an on-site laboratory, X-rays, physical therapy and offer services for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The facility will be built on 26 acres of land donated by the city near the intersection of Nimmo Parkway and West Neck Road.
“The Veterans Care Center will be located within Virginia Beach’s bio-corridor which is the leading destination for biomedical, healthcare and life sciences companies,” said Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris. “Having the center situated among these biomedical resources will be a benefit to the care of our veterans.”
The veteran center is named after two Southside veterans: Air Force Colonel William A. Jones III and Army Staff Sergeant Christopher F. Cabacoy.
Jones was a Norfolk native who served in the Vietnam War and received the Medal of Honor in 1968 after a rescue mission to retrieve a fellow pilot.
Jones passed away a year later in an airplane accident, according to a press release.
Caboacoy was a Virginia Beach native, who served 10 years in the army after graduating from Tallwood High School and studying at Old Dominion University.
Cabacoy died on July 5, 2010, after insurgents in Kandahar, Afghanistan attacked his vehicle with a homemade bomb.
Construction is expected to be completed in early 2020.
