Nahant VFW members eye move into Coast Guard station

NAHANT – Members of the Nahant VFW are hoping to move into a new home within the next year.The organization, which has almost 50 members, has been holding its monthly meetings in Nahant Town Hall since it sold its former headquarters on Coolidge Road last year.The veterans purchased the property in 1925 from the Maolis Club and it was a home for Nahant veterans until it was torn down last June. Two homes have since gone up on the site.Commandant Peter Przybycien said the organization has been working diligently to negotiate a lease to occupy a portion of the first floor in the Coast Guard Station, which is currently vacant and in dire need of interior renovations.”We’re willing to sign a lease as soon as it’s good to go,” he said. “We’ve been working pretty hard since the beginning of the year. Once we get an agreement signed we’ll move forward.”The town owns the Coast Guard Station and has entered into a longterm lease agreement with the Nahant Preservation Trust, which is in negotiations to sublet a portion of the space to the VFW.The Coast Guard Station was built in 1899 and remained in active service until 1964. At the request of the town, the Federal Government officially transferred ownership of the station to Nahant in 1999. The building had been vacant and neglected for years before its transfer. Various town groups have been raising money to restore the facility for almost a decade and the renovation of the exterior of the Coast Guard Station is complete.Przybycien said the VFW is looking forward to help pay for the renovation of the interior of the historic Coast Guard Station.”When we liquidated (the property on Coolidge Road) we invested the money,” he said. “Once we get a lease there will be a substantial transfer of funds (for the Coast Guard Station) and the town has matching funds. It should be enough to renovate the first floor.”Selectman Richard Lombard, who is a member of the VFW, is pleased plans to move into the Coast Guard Station are moving forward and the group could have a permanent home within the foreseeable future.”It’s a great fix,” he said. “It’s a win-win situation. The Legion gets a home and some of the money from the sale of the old Legion building will be used to renovate the interior of the Coast Guard Station. A lot of work has to be done on the interior so our first meeting in there may not be for a year but everyone is excited about it.”