Talks of a Fisher House at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center on Wrightsboro Road have been going on for more than three years.

Next month, the talk will cease as officials plan to break ground.

“We’re still waiting on the Fisher House Foundation” for an exact date, said Janice Kennedy, community relations manager, who has a tentative date of Dec. 9 for the groundbreaking ceremony.

A 21-room Fisher House will be constructed close to the Wrightsboro Road entrance near the hospital and close to the bus line and shuttle to the downtown hospital.

Old quarters, which have been unused since the 1990s, have been demolished to make way for the new Fisher House.

“They call the Fisher House ‘a home away from home,’” she said. “This helps in their recovery. Recovery is higher when they have family close by.”

Many people in the community worked to raise $1.7 million in matching funds for the construction of the Fisher House.

Kennedy said that figure plus some has been raised.

“The money keeps coming in,” she said.

The VA sees many long-term patients with its active duty, blind rehabilitation and spinal cord units. The Fisher House will allow family members to be near while their loved ones receive care.

With those specialized units, the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center is a regional hub for services, she said.