Groundbreaking Kicks Off Development of The Defenders Lodge

Congressional leaders, including Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) and Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), joined Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki Friday at an official groundbreaking of The Defenders Lodge, a free-of-cost hotel facility for wounded veterans who are undergoing treatment at the Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

The 34,000 sq. ft. facility, which will be located at the VA medical campus at 3801 Miranda Ave. in Palo Alto, replaces the existing lodging facility, called Hometel, which was built after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and scheduled to be demolished next year.

“I am honored to be here to break the ground on a great project, called the Defenders Lodge,” said Shinseki, a retired U.S. army general who was awarded a Purple Heart. “This Defenders Lodge will add to the value of the quality, care and compassion that resides here in Palo Alto.”

The construction of the Defenders Lodge aims to address not only the rise in patient occupancy rates, but also the high cost of hotels that are not readily available or affordable for veterans who travel more than 50 miles to receive medical care at the VA hospital in Palo Alto.  

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation, a nonprofit national charity organization sponsoring the project, reported that last year almost 11,000 patients had to find temporary housing, leaving some veterans with no other choice but to sleep in their cars. In addition, the total number of veterans on the wait list for 2011 has reached over 2,500, with only half being placed in a bed. 

“Those who defend us (will) bear the name Defenders Lodge,” Eshoo said. “We will come back and celebrate those who are going to enter the lodge, for they are the ones who will consecrate the ground.”

The $12.5 million lodge, which is fully funded by private contributions and built on donated U.S. government land, will include 54 suites, providing up to 108 queen-size beds. In addition, it will provide individual rooms for patients whose immune systems have been compromised, including oncology, organ transplant and pulmonary patients. 

Unlike the Hometel, the Defenders Lodge will be 100 percent compliant with the American Disabilities Act with access to wireless internet service, in-transit hospital-catered meals, living room, dining room, kitchen, activity and reading rooms. It will also provide accommodations for spouses and caregivers.

“My mom has been with me through my whole rehabilitation process and she loves all the support the housing (service) has given,” said 22-year-old Jordan Williams, who is currently receiving care for his broken leg and pelvis after a vehicle accident during a mountain patrol in southern Afghanistan. “I know that veterans who will have families come will appreciate the bigger facility.”

Former POW veteran Frank Gallagher appreciated that the ceremony for the Defenders Lodge also honored veterans.

The ceremony “means a great deal to realize that our people, organization and country don’t forget the veterans,” said Gallagher.

Assemblyman Rich Gordon (Menlo Park) echoed the same sentiments.

“Particularly touching was the recognition of POW's as a part of the ceremony and the presence of young men and women who are receiving treatment at the Palo Alto VA as a result of injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Gordon said.

The Defenders Lodge is being developed by Gilbane Development Company and architectural and interior designer RYS Architects.

Patients will have access to the VA Palo Alto Health Care System’s treatment centers, including the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Traumatic Brain Injury Center, and National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.