Bowling Green opens $53 million veterans center with 60 private suites
The facility is named for retired U.S. Army Col. Robert E. “Bob” Spiller, a decorated military leader and longtime Bowling Green resident who advocated for veterans’ access to care in the region.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Kentucky officials celebrated the opening of a $53 million veterans center in Bowling Green on Tuesday, expanding skilled nursing care options for veterans in Western Kentucky.
Gov. Andy Beshear joined veterans, military families and state and local leaders for the grand opening of the Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center, an 80,000-square-foot facility expected to create 152 jobs.
“We are proud to carry forward his vision by creating a welcoming home where Kentucky veterans can receive skilled nursing care while maintaining their dignity, independence and connection to community,” said Whitney Allen Jr., commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.
The center includes 60 private suites, each with its own bathroom, along with shared living, dining and support areas. The facility will offer skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, physical therapy and recreational activities.
Located on 25 acres at the Kentucky Transpark in Warren County, the center is the state’s fifth skilled nursing facility for veterans. The land was donated by the Inter-Modal Transportation Authority.
The facility is named for retired U.S. Army Col. Robert E. “Bob” Spiller, a decorated military leader and longtime Bowling Green resident who advocated for veterans’ access to care in the region.
Spiller served for 30 years, including during the Korean and Vietnam wars. After retiring, he returned to Bowling Green and volunteered to drive veterans to medical appointments in Nashville. He also helped lead efforts to establish a veterans center in the community.
“My father stated he had one last mission in life and that was to get a VA Nursing Home in Bowling Green,” said Bob Spiller, son of Col. Robert E. Spiller.
The center was designed around the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ small-house model, which emphasizes private living spaces, shared household areas and resident-centered care.
Construction funding included $2.5 million appropriated in 2020 for design and preconstruction and an additional $16.63 million allocated in 2023 toward completing the project.
Kentucky’s five veterans skilled nursing facilities are located in Bowling Green, Hanson, Hazard, Radcliff and Wilmore.
More information about the Bowling Green center, including admission inquiries and volunteer opportunities, is available here.
