The administration and reception area of the upcoming state veterans cemetery outside Redwood Falls is currently the most obvious sign of construction.
Construction on phase one of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery just outside Redwood Falls is proceeding on schedule, and is still set to open in the spring or early summer of 2023.
The site is on the eastern edge of Redwood Falls, near where Highway 19/71 drops off into the Minnesota River Valley.
When finished, the veterans cemetery will be 81 acres, at a cost of $11.2 million dollars from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and $4.5 million from the Minnesota Legislature.
The stonework for the administration building / reception area is now being set up. The dark gray at the bottom will line the outside, while the ligher sandy-colored stone will cover most of the rest.
The cemetery when finished will be able to accommodate the cremated or buried remains for over 44,000 veterans. The Redwood Falls veterans cemetery will have a staff of seven employees.
KLGR toured the site last week; for photos of how the landscaping and building construction are going, just keep scrolling….
The lobby for the administration / reception building, where families will be able to gather.It was tough to see through the wind and dust last week, but these flags and crates mark the site of the future flag assembly and three large culumbaria (buildings where cremation urns are stored).
This is the future official front entrance of the veterans cemetery ….… and an artist’s illustration of what the main entrance is expected to look like when it is finished.One of the most notable changes to the former farmland is the hills being sculpted for landscaping. This is the sight looking across the Phase I gravesites from the back door of the admin / reception building.A clay-lined pond for decoration and irrigation is being created just south of the future parking lot.The maintenance and storage site is currently in pieces a little to the south of the admin / reception building.The Honor Guard will have its own preparation and storage area.
