American Legion Post in Richfield hopes to transform to a "Veterans Village"
RICHFIELD, Minn. -- The American Legion Post 435 stands empty in Richfield.
But Jeff Ansel still cherishes its full, rich history and what the place means to him.
"Once I came home from Vietnam, it was a friendly place to come where people understood how you felt and where you were coming from," said Ansel, a Vietnam War veteran and vice commander of the Post. "Part of my heart is here."
The Post closed in 2020 after facing membership and revenue declines. But Ansel and other leaders hope to keep the spirit of their organization alive by transforming the four acres of property into a "Veterans Village," a complex that would bring 200 new multi-family housing units—some below market rate so they're affordable—designed to prioritize people who served our country and their families.
There would also be short-term stay apartments set aside for families of veterans seeking treatment at the nearby VA hospital. The space is right off I-35, nestled between a Veterans Park, trails, a city pool and an ice arena—amenities supporters say sets the property apart.
"There's so much history here and so many connections here," said development consultant for the project Elwyn Tinklenberg, who's a former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. It just makes sense for this site to be focused on, dedicated to, prioritizing veterans and their families."
The $67.5 million plan was ready to move forward with support from both the city and Hennepin County before the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to fight inflation, which made the project more expensive, Tinklenberg said.
Now the project seeks $10 million from the state legislature in general obligation bonds or state funds to plug the gap. The proposal received bipartisan praise during a committee meeting in the House last month, and affordable housing is a big focus of other legislation in St. Paul.
Lawmakers will continue to hash out pieces of the next two-year state budget in the coming weeks as the session nears its end next month.
"We're saying it's a good deal and it's a model for other communities," Tinklenberg said of the funding request.
The plan comes as the state works to meet its goal of ending veteran homelessness. There are currently more than 300 veterans in need of a place to live in Minnesota, according to the state's dashboard tracking veteran homelessness.
"Veterans housing issues in the metro are especially critical and we think this is a way to respond to that," the former MnDOT commissioner said.
For Ansel, changes to his "home away from home" are personal. But even though the building he's been visiting for more than 50 years may get demolished in the process, he believes the spirit of the place will live on.
"Any given post in the American Legion, any given unit of the VFW isn't the building that it's in. It's the people that belong there," he said. "Being able to continue that and continuing the link to the community and the service to veterans—that's really what it's all about."