Construction Beginning on New VA Mental Health Facility [AUDIO]

ST. CLOUD -- It was all smiles on the faces of Veteran Affairs officials in St. Cloud Thursday.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the campus of the VA Health Care Systems for a brand new $8.75 million mental health facility.

The new building will provide 20 additional beds and increasing staffing levels to treat veterans with mental health needs.

The construction project will total nearly 19,000 square feet, built on top of a current parking lot.

Sherrie Herendeen is the director of mental health at the St. Cloud VA. She says the new facility will go a long way to helping treat veterans.

The new building is being described as a "corner stone to a lot of changes" at the St. Cloud VA. The current mental health center is sharing space with the residential program.

Herendeen says the residential program will also be expanded by 23 beds once the new facility opens in the fall or winter of 2014.

She says everyone is very excited for the new facility to open.

The St. Cloud VA has been serving veterans for 88 years. The original complex was created in 1925.