Officials are eyeing a spring opening for the Robert E. Spiller Veterans Center, after supply chain issues and construction hold-ups led to a string of delays in cutting the ribbon on the facility.

“Right now we’re shooting for kind of March (or) April for first veteran admissions … contingent upon staffing and hiring and training and things like that,” facility head Jason Gumm told the Daily News.

The facility has been in the works for years, with discussions on constructing a home for veterans going as far back as the 1990s. Dirt was turned on the 80,000-square-foot facility in November 2022 on a 25-acre space in the Kentucky Transpark that would house 60 veterans. Delays have hit the center time after time. Increased costs of construction materials stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, issues with securing state funding and even trying to find land contributed to push-backs.

A 2024 opening was announced at a 2023 ceremony where the building was named for local veteran Robert Spiller. In late 2024, some construction supplies were stolen from the site, pushing the opening back to February 2025.

Last June, the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs told the Daily News that supply chain issues again impeded construction, and personnel were busy finishing punchlist items before opening.

Substantial completion was met and some staff moved into the center around Christmas last year, although punchlist items continue.

“We’re starting to see progress with the completion of the building and getting us ready for the final completion,” Gumm said. “It’s kind of like the buildings coming alive, because you can see the stages.”

Staffing for nursing positions is expected to ramp up soon, and positions for cooks, dietary aides and other support staff will post soon as well.

Mark Bowman, who heads the Office of Kentucky Veterans Centers within the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Daily News that delays are not uncommon with projects of this scope. He said the center in Radcliff was subject to delays over punchlist items, weather and several other issues.

“I’d be a liar to say that huge delays are expected or that anybody likes them, nobody plans on them,” Bowman said. “We already hope to be in there, I think the community hoped that we would already be in there … But the reality of these projects are, you don’t know what’s going to slow you down till they happen.”

Following final completion the center will be inspected and will pursue certification for Medicare, Medicaid and from the VA. A timeline for this is not known for sure, but after certification, Bowman said “we’ll be wide open.”

“It’s going to be a great day for Bowling Green, the community, and, most importantly, our veterans and their families,” he said. “We’re ready for it.”

The Kentucky General Assembly appropriated $28 million for the project in 2024. It will be the fifth of its kind in the state. There are similar facilities open in Radcliff, Hazard, Hanson and Wilmore.