One-of-a-kind Veterans Service Outreach Center on its way to completion

Seguin, TX, USA / Seguin Today

Cindy Aguirre

Guadalupe County Judge provides local update on construction project

(Seguin) – A gift to area veterans is only 90 days away from being finished. Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher says April is the anticipated timeframe for the construction of the new Guadalupe County Veterans Outreach Service Center. The Seguin Daily News has been tracking the progress of this one-of-a-kind service office for veterans ever since it was officially put into motion in 2021.

The idea was to provide as many veteran services as possible under one roof. The center currently remains under renovation and construction at the old hospital and former Head Start building on Weinert Street.  

Kutscher says after years in the making, the county is truly grateful to be counting down the final months of construction.

“It’s important to me but it’s also happening because a group of people worked on it together. This has become a vision of the counties and a good group of people for a handful of years. Every project that we accomplish is important and special in its own way. But this one is different because it pertains to veterans, such a large and important part of our community. This project means that veterans are going to have a place to seek out resources, not in some other far away place but at home, somewhere close to them. This is a representation of our responsibility to the people that sacrificed so much to protect us and give us what we have today. So, we are proud to give them this building and proud to do this project for them,” said Kutscher.

Kutscher says the project is taking shape as planned and believes the veterans community will be proud of the end product.

“We did not have an open house ceremony date set just yet. We do want to get moved into the building, get our substantial completion from the city and certificate of occupancy but currently at the moment, we have smoothing out, texturing of walls, floating out the sheetrock. We have the majority of our HVAC and duct work in. We’ve got some mechanical, electrical, plumbing things that are being finished. We are going to be getting into the ceiling installation for some of the drop ceiling areas, all the exposed wood ceiling that we are leaving in the building. So, really the project is starting to shape up and we are able to see what it will become,” said Kutscher.

Recognition of these men and womens’ sacrifices will not go unnoticed with the overall design of the building. Kutscher says the building’s front courtyard alone will be a tribute to all those who have fought and protected our freedoms.

“There are eight flag poles set out in the front of the property that are on the front side of the building which is really going to lay out the entire memorial area that will be all brick paving and the historical artwork and plaque that depicts all the conflicts in our nation’s history and that’s going to be a really special place so this is the initial – if you drive by the building, you’ll get to see the first steps of what that will turn into,” said Kutscher.

Kutscher says the new Guadalupe County Veterans Outreach Center will not only be a true gem for area veterans but perhaps will be setting the template for other communities to also follow.

“There are not many communities around the country that have facilities set up like this. This is something that has been talked about but not many places have actually gone through and built it. It’s been important to us to kind of provide a facility and resources located in one place, so veterans and families didn’t have to go 60, 70, 80 miles away – drive to another facility to then be rescheduled, sent to two other places and still not have what they need. It was important to us to try co-locate multiple resources and agencies within one building so all those services could be provided in one place. So, we’re excited to do this. There are a few other places around the country that we’ve heard about that have done and have been very successful but even those that have recently opened up so it’s kind of a new model. We believe it’s going to be extremely beneficial to the veterans that are going to be receiving the service,” said Kutscher.

Now although the name is Guadalupe County, Kutscher says the center is open to all American veterans no matter where they live.

“Our priority and commitment first and foremost is to Guadalupe County veterans but the entire intent of this facility is to provide these resources in a convenient matter to all veterans so if there are veterans in neighboring counties that would otherwise have to drive even further and they can come here, then please come. Everyone is welcome,” said Kutscher.

County officials say veterans make up a bulk of residents living in Guadalupe County.

View article on SeguinGazette.com