Thanks to a $100,000 allocation from Routt County Commissioners, the creation of a new Veterans Center in downtown Steamboat Springs is one step closer to reaching the $3 million goal the organization set last July.

“I believe that we allocated $100,000 of our (American Rescue Plan) money,” Routt County Commissioner Tim Corrigan said. “Then we got that original dollar amount, (and) we made an internal commitment that all of that money would be spent on what we called infrastructure, or at least something that you could touch — not ongoing expenses but rather building real things. I think we were pretty excited to have the opportunity to be able to support the veterans in our community in this way.”

Bruce Hannon, vice president of the Veterans Center board, said the gift puts gives the organization $2.3 million toward improvements at the former Veterans of Foreign Wars building at 924 Lincoln Ave.

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“We are planning on putting our first sledgehammer to the front of the brick building on May 15,” Hannon said.

Hannon was thrilled with the allocation from the county, which bolstered the veterans’ efforts along with several pledges from Alpine Bank, Mountain Valley Bank and Yampa Valley Bank. Hannon said Three Forks Ranch also hosted a fundraising event for the Veterans Center.

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“We’re very happy to have that support,” Hannon said. “We are also hoping that some of the others will follow suit and we close in on our goal.”

A fire in an adjoining business in December 2019 caused extensive smoke damage to the historic Schubring-Cruse VFW Post No. 4264, making the building nearly unusable.

In July, ownership of the building was transferred from the VFW to the Veterans Center, and a board was formed to head up the fundraising efforts to create a resource center for veterans, active-duty personnel and their families.

After the renovation, the Veterans Center will be a central location for assistance that any veteran might need, including medical and mental health referrals, even if that help is simply a safe place to connect and visit with other veterans who have had similar military experiences.

The focus will be to support and address the needs of service members and military families, while also raising awareness for the unique issues and challenges veterans face during military service and when transiting to civilian life.

The Veterans Center is intended serve the needs of more than 1,200 veterans who live in Routt County, including including members of the Schubring-Cruise VFW Post, the American Legion Leo Hill Post No. 44, and those served by the Routt County Veterans Service Officer.

The Veterans Center has received 501c3 nonprofit status and also offers donors an additional Enterprise Zone Tax Credit of 25% on a qualified contribution of $250 or more. The goal is to raise $3 million to fund historical renovation of the building through local and state grants and private fundraising.

In addition to Hannon, the board includes Jeff Steck, president; Loretta Kuhlman, secretary/treasurer; Joe Armstrong, senior director; Kent Fredrickson, director; and Jim Stanko, director.