VFW temporarily relocates to Veterans Drive

KYLE — The local VFW has temporarily moved into a new building.

Earlier this month, Kyle VFW Post 12058 moved into a city-owned building, appropriately located at 107 Veterans Drive, on a one-year lease.

While its previous one room building on South Front Street served the VFW well for years, the building has been in need of an upgrade.

During the Jan. 28 Kyle City Council meeting, in which the council unanimously approved a temporary lease agreement for the Post to use the Veterans Drive building, Interim City Manager Jerry Hendrix spoke about the Post’s need for an upgraded space.

“We’ve known for a while that the building they’re in is in need of repairs,” Hendrix said. “Moving them out gives us the chance to fully assess what repairs are needed and make a plan for the future use of that building/property or find a more appropriate spot for them.”

After the city acquired the Veterans Drive building, Post member Jimmie Quintero said that they were approached by the city about relocating there. He said that while they are currently on a one-year lease only, the city will likely “have a better idea” in about six months or so on whether the old building is repairable and if the Post will be able to move back in following repairs.

However if it is deemed unrepairable, Quintero said, the building could instead be demolished and a prefabricated building be placed on the land, or the city could extend the Veterans Drive building lease.

Additionally, the city may also look for land elsewhere to move the Post.

For now, the new location gives the Post a substantial amount of extra space — storage rooms, meeting rooms and even a full-sized kitchen, plus additional outdoor buildings. It is also still able to support other community organizations like local Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops and the Kyle & Buda Freedom Quilters who use the building for meetings.

Quintero added that Post members are also coming up with plans to renovate the backyard that would allow for more parking and also have ideas for creating an outdoor sitting area for veterans to relax and reflect in.

After a short break to settle into the new building, the Post’s weekly Veterans Breakfast, normally held every Friday morning, will resume on March 24 at 8 a.m.