Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Wednesday commemorated the opening of a new Veterans' Home in Chicago, Illinois.

The home is the first state veterans' retirement facility to open in 20 years and the first to serve the Chicagoland area.

Gov. Pritzker says the home is the product of his personal commitment to Illinois' veterans.

“As the proud son and grandson of Naval officers, I have a very personal commitment to Illinois’ nearly 650,000 veterans,” said Gov. Pritzker. "One of my earliest actions as governor was to undertake the restart of the first Illinois Veterans’ Home directly serving the Chicagoland area, as well as building a new state-of-the-art facility to replace the aging facility in Quincy. It’s my mission that Illinois will provide every possible support for our military men and women, their families, and our veterans – those who have made sacrifice upon sacrifice so all of us can live free."

Previously, the closest facilities to the area were over an hour away.

The new home will accommodate 200 retired Illinois veterans.