After years of trying, a 14-acre piece of land in Rockland County will be soon be housing for homeless and disabled veterans.
Rockland legislator and veteran John Murphy is the co-founder of homes for Heroes.
He enlisted Senator Chuck Schumer to help make the group's dream a reality.
The organization acquired the land as government surplus. At one time Camp Shanks was the largest World War II army embarkation camp.
Over 1.2 million soldiers left from here to fight in Europe.
Decades later it will be a first stop for many returning GI's.
Eight handicapped-accessible apartments will open during the first phase of the $10 million project.
The goal is to build 52 units, a drop in the bucket given that the number of homeless veterans is expected to 200,000.
Many hope this complex will serve as a model for the future.
The process may have taken a long time, but construction won't. It'll begin before the end of the year.
The first group of veterans could be living there in the spring.
