Collier County Veterans Nursing Home in Golden Gate renderings. -SUFFOLK / COURTESY PHOTO
Veteran housing and nursing home options are expanding in Collier County.
Construction is underway on the new Collier County Veterans’ Nursing Home, a facility that will provide skilled nursing and adult day care services for veterans in Collier and surrounding counties.
Meanwhile, Warrior Homes of Collier purchased a 10-unit condominium in East Naples next to on of their other 10-unit properties that offers furnished apartments for veterans. Warrior Homes houses two veterans per apartment with approximately 60 units throughout the county with this recent purchase, dubbed the Zulu House, purchased in December.
Warrior Homes was founded in 2015 by veteran Dale Mullin to assist veterans with housing, mental health and education. This purchase and renovation, estimated at $3 million, will lead to ending veteran homelessness in Collier County, Mullin has said. PulteGroup of Southwest Florida began renovations in December and expects them to be completed between spring and summer.
Collier County Veterans Nursing Home in Golden Gate renderings. -SUFFOLK / COURTESY PHOTO
The Collier County Veterans’ Nursing Home project supports a regional need as Florida’s veteran population continues to expand. There were 21,000 veterans aged 65 and older living in Collier County in 2019, according to data from the Collier County Community Foundation and that figure is estimated to be about 31,000 now. Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the country at 1.5 million veterans.
Collier County Veterans’ Nursing Home is being constructed in partnership with Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs by Suffolk.
As construction manager, Suffolk will oversee project planning, coordination and execution while working closely with county and state project partners to ensure the facility meets the highest standards for resident care, safety, durability and long-term performance, with an emphasis on innovative design and construction that prioritizes hurricane resiliency, cost efficiency, and veteran-focused amenities, the company leaders announced in a prepared statement in January.
“Suffolk is honored to partner with Collier County, FDVA and DMS on a project that carries real meaning for the community,” said Ben Wilson, general manager of Suffolk, Southwest Florida. “Many members of our team are veterans themselves, and that personal connection, combined with our experience delivering complex public and healthcare facilities, reinforces our commitment to building a place that truly honors those who served and supports them and their families with dignity and care.”
Collier County Veterans Nursing Home in Golden Gate renderings. -SUFFOLK / COURTESY PHOTO
The two-story, 120-bed facility, developed in collaboration with Collier County, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) and the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS), will feature a wide range of services, including therapy and adult day health care. It will also include amenities such as landscaped gardens, gazebos, walking paths, libraries and communal gathering spaces for veterans and their families. The first phase of construction is expected to begin in July 2026, with the facility projected to open in 2029.
Collier County hosted a land dedication ceremony on Jan. 9 to honor the 23.5 acres donated to the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs for the future VA nursing home and adult day care center. The groundbreaking is expected in July and opening slated for end of 2028 or early 2029. The $72 million center is partially funded by Collier County with land purchased by Collier County in 2019 along Collier Boulevard at what was the former Golden Gate Golf Course.
To learn more about Warrior Homes of Collier, visit WWCollier.org.
