SPARKS, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Brian Sandoval says the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the first state veterans' home in northern Nevada fulfills one of the top priorities he established when he took office nearly eight years ago.

 

The outgoing governor christened the $47 million home Monday night in Sparks where it will serve veterans, their spouses and Gold Star families of veterans who died in battle.

 

The 102,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility will begin accepting residents in the spring under the direction of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, the Nevada Appeal reports. The only other veterans' home in Nevada is in Boulder City about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas near the Arizona line.

 

The skilled nursing facility will provide around-the-clock care and 96 beds. It includes private rooms with bath and showers, common living spaces and a town hall featuring a gym and therapy center, coffee bistro, sports bar, chapel, conservatory, commissary, meeting rooms and dining hall.

 

"I do have a speech, but I'm speechless," Sandoval told more than 500 servicemen and women, their family members, government officials and community leaders at Monday night's ceremony.

 

"This is the night we've been waiting for, for a very, very long time," he said, adding that he couldn't think of a better way to finish the year. "I set a goal that Nevada would be the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the country because we are a stronger nation today because of the sacrifice of all men and women of our military."

 

Kat Miller, director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, said that when Sandoval took office in 2011, he didn't focus first on the economy or health care, but instead, discussed the need for inspirational leadership. Miller said the new state home for veterans will serve as a community in the truest sense of the word.

 

"Every veteran here today regardless of when you served, where you served or what role you served, we owe each one of you our profound thanks," she said.