Construction is underway on a new $3 million home for AMVETS Post 75 as the veterans organization looks to accommodate a growing membership and better serve veterans in the community.
Commander Terry Mathis said the project has been in the works for more than a year after the organization’s current building became too small for its expanding membership and activities.
“We’ve been growing so much that this place has gotten too small,” Mathis said. “When we get several pool teams in here, it gets very, very crowded.”
The new building will add about 3,000 square feet, bringing the facility’s total size to approximately 8,800 square feet. It is being constructed on property adjacent to the current location.
Mathis said the organization initially planned to expand the existing building but discovered that bringing the aging structure up to current building codes would have made an addition too costly.
“If it’s going to cost us a million dollars to add on and then bring this building up to code, it just made more sense to build new,” he said.
Once the new building reaches a certain stage of construction, the current facility will be demolished. Mathis said the organization expects to close for about four weeks while crews remove the old building, fill in its basement and complete a new concrete parking lot.
The project is expected to cost approximately $3 million after all construction is complete. Mathis said the organization is funding the project primarily through proceeds from its charitable gaming machines.
Construction began last week, and Mathis said he hopes the facility will open around this time next year, weather permitting.
The new building is designed specifically around the organization’s needs, with a larger kitchen, expanded bar area, improved storage and dedicated space for recreation.
Mathis said the redesigned bar will allow bartenders to access beverages and supplies more efficiently, while the kitchen will include a larger walk-in cooler and a matching walk-in freezer.
The facility will also feature a separate room for at least four pool tables, with enough space to expand to six tables for tournaments.
An outdoor covered patio with ceiling fans and televisions is also planned.
Mathis said he believes the new facility will help attract additional members, particularly younger veterans.
“Veterans organizations have always had this stigma,” he said. “A lot of younger people think it’s just old men sitting around smoking and drinking. We’re hoping with the newer building they’ll come in, like what they see and keep coming back.”
Mathis said creating a welcoming environment has always been one of the organization’s priorities.
“We’ve got people who come in as soon as we open the doors,” he said. “Some of the same groups have been coming almost daily for years. They just hang out together.”
He said one group of four regulars gathers every Friday morning for coffee and conversation, adding that maintaining those relationships is more important than simply measuring business by sales.
“This is their routine every Friday morning,” Mathis said. “It’s a good place to talk.”
Founded more than 50 years ago, AMVETS Post 75 has become a significant contributor to local charitable organizations. Mathis said the post donated roughly $220,000 to $230,000 in Daviess County last year alone.
Under Kentucky’s charitable gaming laws, organizations donate a portion of gaming proceeds to nonprofit organizations. Mathis said recipients include foster care organizations, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Oasis Shelter and other community organizations, especially those serving children.
Mathis said charitable gaming has also become essential to the survival of many veterans organizations.
“Ten years ago, if it wasn’t for gaming and having these machines, you probably wouldn’t have a veterans organization here,” he said. “The government gives no funding. The state doesn’t do anything to help. We have to survive on our own.”
Beyond the building itself, Mathis said he hopes the project strengthens the organization’s role as a gathering place for veterans.
“A lot of them come here, and it’s the only place they can talk to somebody who knows what they’re talking about,” he said. “People find out they’ve got a lot more in common than they realized.”
Ultimately, Mathis said his goal extends beyond AMVETS Post 75.
“My hope isn’t just for this place,” he said. “I hope every veterans organization is able to exist as long as veterans aren’t forgotten.”
