As many of you know, a fire last spring caused significant damage in the rear of the first floor of the American Legion Post 135 and caused smoke damage throughout the building.
The grand ballroom on the second floor, which has been home to many weddings and other special events, reopened months ago, but renovations have continued on the first floor, which houses Legion offices, a meeting room, the organization’s popular bar Betty Bombers All-American Eatery.
Folks at the Legion have been making slow but steady progress toward reopening the first floor, but it was sure great to see the flurry of activity there on Saturday.
When I arrived Saturday morning, volunteers from Home Depot were efficiently ripping up the dingy old tile just inside the front door.
Further inside, the Home Depot crew was hard at work on the women’s restroom.
The Home Depot Foundation recently awarded Post 135 a $12,000 grant for materials, and about 15 employees from the Victory Drive location volunteered to help with the work on Saturday.
Post Commander Tommy Fordham graciously showed me around the renovated space.
The men’s and women’s restrooms are now handicap accessible, storage areas have been improved and Betty Bombers has a sparkling new kitchen.
While I was there, a Home Depot volunteer offered to refinish the wood floors revealed in two areas where the old tile was ripped up, although it’s still possible that newer ceramic tile will be laid in high-traffic spots.
Also, city officials recently determined that the building needs a much larger grease trap. So we’re not quite at the end, but the end is definitely in sight.
Down the road, Legion members plan to install an elevator as they work to make the entire historic building accessible.
When the lounge reopens, probably in mid-February, patrons will find a magnificent new bar top with almost 500 embedded military service patches.
Over the last decade or so, American Legion Post 135 has become a vital meeting point for folks from throughout Savannah, but it has been especially important for those of us who live near the south end of Forsyth Park.
We’ve really missed that connectivity over the last nine months, and there is constant talk around the neighborhood about the Legion’s eventual reopening.
Post 135 has also served as a vital role as landlord for small businesses, including Betty Bombers.
Brighter Day Natural Foods has rented space in the Legion complex for many years. The Sentient Bean opened in 2001, with Local 11 Ten and wine shop Le Chai opening more recently. Those businesses all contribute in their own ways to the growing sense of community south of Forsyth Park.
City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.