Reynolds VFW Post hits snags in efforts to rebuild, one year after fire

In February 2024, tragedy stuck the the Reynolds VFW Post 7599 in Greenville. At that time, leaders, members of the post, and volunteers tried to salvage what they could, and made an auxiliary pavilion on the same property the temporary home.

"If we didn't have this building, we'd be out of business. We would not even have a place to go," said post commander Ace Hanzes, adding that between post, and past leaders, more than $100,000 has been put into the space.

All the while, these leaders have been planning to put a building where the old 18,000 square-foot building once stood.

"We keep running into roadblocks, electricity, and now water. All that stuff has to come up to code because we're not grandfathered," said Donald Swingle, Junior Vice Commander at the post.

Something else the post says wasn't in the blueprints, tariffs, leading to skyrocketing costs for building materials, money they don't have.

"We've been estimated it would be between a 10-20% increase of what we originally planned, so it will be in the neighborhood of $200,000-$400,000 I would imagine," Hanzes explained, adding that they are waiting for an exact number from the contract. He also says they don't want to take a loan out and leave the burden on future leaders and members.

Insurance is covering $2 million, which before the escalated costs, would've paid to put up a new building, half the size of the old one, on the property. 

"If that means having some fundraisers or soliciting the community for more funds, or scaling back the size of the project," said Hanzes.