Less than a decade ago, the future of Milwaukee's Old Soldiers Home -- the precursor to today's V.A. Hospital -- was uncertain.
Many buildings on the campus had been closed for years and fallen into disrepair. The wear was especially bad at "Old Main," the central and largest building on the site, with multiple broken windows and holes in the roof.
But those days seem like ancient history today, as a crews have been working to rehabilitate the buildings since 2016 and convert them to housing for veterans.
Old Main, the Administration Building and a handful of duplexes on the site will offer a variety of housing solutions, and are set to open in February 2021.
"That's a total of 101 housing units, plus community space and onsite support services for veterans," writes OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo in his story at OnMilwaukee. "There will be space for singles, couples and families. Old Main will also have a women's wing for residents who prefer that option."
This week on Urban Spelunking, we give an update on the progress inside, plus we explore the history of this unique 1869 Edward Townsend Mix architectural gem in Milwaukee.
