Cuyahoga County’s new veterans headquarters ‘to serve those who’ve served’
- mdaviscvono
- May 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr. 28, 2026, 11:12 a.m.
Published: Apr. 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County’s new Veterans Service Commission headquarters is now officially open to the public.
County leaders and veteran officials marked the grand opening Friday with a celebration at the 3950 Chester Ave. facility, a $10 million investment aimed at expanding access to benefits, financial assistance and community programming for local veterans.
The building replaces the commission’s previous office just down the street and satellite offices at Wade Park and the Parma Veterans Affairs location. It is designed to be a more modern, accessible and welcoming space to better accommodate the needs of veterans today.
“The Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission is excited for all this new facility will bring to our veteran community,” Executive Director Jon Reiss said in a news release Friday. “From parking to training space, this facility provides enhanced capability to serve those who’ve served.”
The new headquarters is meant to build on the commission’s role as a safety net for veterans, as cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer previously reported.
Reiss has said the commission is often confused with Veterans Affairs, the federal program that provides healthcare and other benefits to military veterans and their families. But actually, the commission’s main role is to help veterans navigate that system while also filling gaps when those benefits fall short -- for free.
The office can help veterans with disability and pension claims, emergency financial assistance and connections to housing, transportation and other social services. Support can also be highly individualized, covering anything from rent and utilities to job training or medical needs.
Reiss previously said he also hopes to expand programming and outreach to better support women veterans, address mental health and build stronger connections within the veteran community. He noted that there are an estimated 65,000 to 67,000 veterans living in Cuyahoga County, but the commission has historically only served about 10% of them in a given year.
“I wish we could get every veteran in here and let them know what their benefits are,” Reiss previously told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, “before it becomes a need.”
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said Friday that he shares that goal and believes the new commission office will provide “the dignified space our veterans deserve to access the services and assistance they have earned.”
“These men and women put their lives on the line to protect our freedom here at home,” Ronayne said, “and we owe them a place that reflects our gratitude and commitment.”
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