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Last Event Set At VFW Post Building

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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2007

TEMPLE CREST - Every Christmas, the Temple Terrace Veterans of Foreign Wars post hosts a big turkey dinner with all the fixings for patients at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center. This year, it will be the post's last event at the building that has been its home for 34 years.

The 230-member chapter is relocating at the end of the year to make way for the widening of 40th Street. The city of Tampa bought the building at 40th Street and Riverhills Drive and will demolish it in 2008.

The city bought the property for $440,000 - $200,000 above the assessed value - but post officers still had a challenge in finding a suitable replacement building.
Quartermaster Bruce Richards said that after months of searching, the post found a building just up the road. It was important to find a space nearby because most of the post members live within three miles of the current building.

The new site is a former plumbing business at 8414 N. 40th St., but it may only be a temporary home. An adjoining lot that would be needed for expansion is zoned for residential use.

"We have to go through rezoning process and get the building wet-zoned," Richards said. "That could take a few months. If we can't get the zoning, we'll have to find another location."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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