PELL CITY — The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs was given a green light to build a new nursing home facility in Pell City.

“This is very exciting news,” said St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon. “This is another great project coming to St. Clair County.”

The Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency announced that a Certificate of Need was issued Thursday to the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs to construct a new 254 bed nursing/assisted living facility. The new facility will have a combination of 174 skilled nursing beds and 80 assisted living beds.

“The biggest part is that it will serve our veterans and be a state of the art facility,” Batemon said. “It should lead the nation in design.”

The cost estimate for the project is $62.4 million.

“Combined with the St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital, this makes two outstanding projects that in dire economic times will provide jobs for people,” Batemon said.

He said the new State Veterans Home will provide an estimated 300 jobs, including staff and delivery personnel.

The estimated annual payroll for the new State Veterans Home is $15 million.

According to VA officials, the new home will have more of a neighborhood feel, rather than an institutional setting.

The new veteran’s home site is next to Jefferson State Community College, just north of I-20.

Construction of the new veterans home, as well as the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital, could begin early next year.

Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs officials hope to have the project out for bid by January 2010.

Officials estimate the construction of the new Veterans Home will take 18-24 months to complete.

“This announcement comes on the eve of observing Veterans Day, when we’ll be celebrating the sacrifices made by our veterans,” Batemon said. “What a better Labor Day surprise could we have?”